Clean Energy Initiatives

 

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The Renewable Energy Programme was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Environment in fulfilment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s obligation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and as part of African strategy on voluntary emission reduction. The main thrust of the Programme is to ensure all sector of the economy make a switch to cleaner sources of energy. So as we work towards achieving objectives of the Vision 20:2020 , we do so sustainably with minimal ecological footprint.

 

Nigeria has a commitment under the UNFCCC accord to make voluntary “non-binding” efforts to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to mitigate the effects of climate change.In order to effectively administer this ratified instrument, the government has put in place certain structures and one of it is the Renewable Energy Programme.

 

The main trust of the Renewable Energy Programme is to;

 

  1. Fulfil Nigeria’s obligation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  2. Address the nation’s challenges of moving towards clean, reliable, secure and competitive energy
  3. Develop and implement strategies/policies that would regulate the renewable energy sector as obtained in global best practices
  4. And ensure that the renewable energy sector develops sustainably and profitably
  5. Partner with all the three tiers of Government, relevant government Agencies, NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, as well as local and international investors
  6. Partner with Multilateral Agencies, national and international financial institutions
  7. Make sure the renewable energy sector is safe for investors and the renewable energy sector develops in line with global best practices

 

As renewable energy industries continue to develop, the primary driving forces are less likely to be environmental and more likely to be employment potential and job creation.The employment potential for the global renewable energy industry is significant.

 

And as global petroleum output declines, fossil energy jobs may become scarcer, allowing a shift to the labour-intensive renewable energy industries. Hence we:

 

In April 2012, Nigeria became a State Partner in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) with initial focus on methane, black carbon, hydroflourocarbons (HFCs). Nigeria is currently the Co-Chair of the coalition made up of over 40 countries and 38 Non State partners including the World Bank, WHO andUNEP. Necessitating action on SLCPs reduction could address, inter alia, reducing black carbon emissions from heavy duty diesel vehicles & engines in the transport sector, mitigating SLCPs from brick production, mitigating SLCPs from landfills and municipal solid waste sector, promoting HFC alternative technology and standards, accelerating methane and black carbon reductions from oil and natural gas production, improving cook stoves and domestic heating; reducing methane emissions in agriculture production systems , and reducing SLCP emissions from open burning in forest/agricultural practices.

 

The Various achievements of the Renewable Energy Programme in the last few years of its establishment are highlighted on our Partnership that work and our On- going projects.

 

PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK

 

Nigeria-German Energy Partnership. Nigeria-Nordic ( Sweden, Finland & Norway)Energy Forum. Bank of Industry/ UNDP Access to Renewable Energy Programme Nigeria- India Partnership on Renewable Energy development. Inter-Ministerial Committee on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ICREEE). Secretariat is in the Ministry of Power Renewable Energy Investment Team Committee ( NIPC, Customs, FIRS, Immigrations). Secretariat is in NIPC Partnership with National and International corporations And a Host of Others.

 

ONGOING PROJECTS

 

THE RURAL WOMEN ENERGY SECURITY (RUWES) PROJECT: Ten (10) rural women Cooperatives are already empowered with the RUWES Business Model Package-tricycle loaded with the cleaner energy lighting and cooking kits aimed at creating viable market potentials for the women while creating jobs for foundry workers, welders, mechanics etc in cookstoves production.

 

THE NATIONAL CLEAN COOKING SCHEME (NCCS): The NCCS is an aggressive drive to reduce and eventually eliminate cooking with solid and fossil fuels such as firewood and kerosene, which are expensive and difficult to source while being detrimental to our health and the environment at large.The REP in collaboration with UNDP has empowered four secondary schools namely; (i) GGSS Kawo, Kaduna State (ii) FGGC Zaria (iii) GGSSS Kwoi (iv) Govt. College Fadan Kaje by retrofitting the kitchens from firewood to LPG stoves under the National Clean Cooking Scheme (NCCS).

 

Through the NCCS also REP successfully launched the National Assembly Intervention on Clean Cookstoves Initiative (NAICCI) which has distributed clean cooking products across Kwara & Akwa Ibom States as pilot.

 

THE RURAL ENERGY ACCESS PROJECT (REAP): The Renewable Energy Programme (REP) successfully embarked on Rural Electrification, providing and installing Stand Alone Solar Systems for 600 households as well as training in Mutum Biu, Gassol LGA, Taraba State.

 

THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSPORT SCHEME (CETS): The Renewable Energy Programme in collaboration with the Indian Government through the TATA Group has proposed an initiative to run mass transit transportation on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). CNG is a cleaner and more efficient fuel than the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel that is currently being used for mass transportation in Nigeria. The office of the GED -Gas and Power ( NNPC) is the leading this effort.

 

The System is modeled after the city of New Delhi which has retrofitted all vehicles to run on CNG thereby restoring clean air and also earning carbon credits for the State.