Kyari
attended the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit which provided an
opportunity for the signing of a $1.1 million grant between Nigeria and the
United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) as part-funding for the
Abuja Independent Power Project (IPP) in Abuja.
The Group
Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele
Kyari shared his disappointment with the state of power generation in Nigeria,
urging for an alternative.
The NNPC
chief lamented that Nigerians are still struggling to afford a day’s meal and
that electricity is now “a luxury” exclusive for the elite. He added that the
challenges of the power supply must be addressed before Nigeria can go into
renewable energy.
He said; “For
this country and very many of us in sub-Saharan Africa, what we worry about
today is actually the meals of today. There are many who can’t afford a meal a
day. And of course, electricity is largely a luxury; it’s only for the elite,
like all of us here.
“It is the
dream of very many to have I-pass-my-neighbour in their homes. When you say,
‘do not use fossil fuel,’ but you have not provided alternatives. The world has
not looked at their situation.
The world has not recognised that there is abject
poverty in the communities
“We have to
resolve the issue of electricity so that we can talk about renewable energy in
the future and reduce the use of fossil fuel that has a high impact on the
environment.
We know that there is an energy transition in the world. With
time, there will be less dependence on fossil fuel.
“We have gas
in abundance, we must create an infrastructure that will help create gas for
power generation.
“We need the
power to create jobs and we must create prosperity so that we can have peace in
our country. We are grateful for this grant.”
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