News Editor
…Explores coconut for alternative power
By Olu Balogun
Determined to get Nigeria out of the problems of incessant national grid collapse and epileptic power supply , the Senate through its Committee on Power, on Monday, brainstormed with a South Korean energy firm for lasting solutions.
The Committee led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA Abia South) , told the BK Energy firm from South Korean , that what Nigeria and Nigerians want , is to get rid of the incessant grid collapse and epileptic power supply that had bedevilled the Nation over the years due to moribund infrastructure .
Senator Abaribe pointedly told the energy investor that basic infrastructure of Power is what the country needs , having over the years been stuck with 4, 000megawatts of electricity generation due to lack of transmission infrastructure to wheel any generation above that , to the distribution channels .
“Our major concern as a committee and by extension as a people , is how to break the bond and bridge the yawning gap of insufficient power generation in the country .
“We want you to be very practical in your submission for us to buy into whatever new technology or idea you have brought, which should serve as expected solutions for us.
In their response , the South Korean based BK Energy represented by Mr Haeagwoo Lee and Sangwoo Park , said mini – grid approach should be adopted by the Nigerian government to solve the incessant problem of National Grid collapse.
According to Mr Lee, South Korean which has population of about 50million people has 130, 000megawatts of electricity geberation that are not loaded on a single or national grid alone .
“There is need for decentralization when it comes to wheeling or transmission of power generation to avoid waste or incessant collapse .
“Nigeria is even a very lucky country where coconut is largely produced agriculturally which can be converted to graphene for power generation as done in South Korea . Coconut trees can also be used to build a generating plant in any neighborhood,” he said .
Earlier , the Chairman and Chief Executive officer of TUG Energy, Mr Uzo Udemba who led the South Korean investors to the National Assembly , explained to the committee that the new paradigm shift in the energy sector is Green Hydrogen which Nigeria should position itself as the hub .
He also added that many countries of the world are moving away from the National Grid model of power storage and distribution, to avoid disappointment of grid collapse as often the case in Nigeria .
“The BK Energy from South Korea is here to practically share with Nigeria and Nigerians , new technology of power generation , transmission and distribution by setting up factories here to train Nigerians across the three components,” he stressed .
AU ENDORSES NIGERIA AS AfCFTA DIGITAL TRADE CHAMPION
The African Union (AU) has endorsed Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion for the continent under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Digital Trade protocol, following the impressive record of the Federal Government in promoting digital enterprise and innovation.
The 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which concluded on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, recognised Nigeria’s proactive role in advancing the implementation of the digital trade protocol adopted in February 2024.
The protocol features an agenda to develop eight annexes covering critical areas, including rules of origin, digital identities, cross-border data transfers, legitimate and legal public interest reasons for disclosing source code, online safety and security, emerging and advanced technologies, and financial technology.
In his annual report on the progress of the AfCFTA’s digital trade protocol, former president of Niger Republic and AU AfCFTA champion Mahamadou Issoufou lauded Nigeria’s leadership for convening the Digital Economy Roundtable in January.
He noted that the gathering was pivotal in driving the digital trade agenda forward.
”No organisation, region, or continent has negotiated or adopted such a comprehensive legal instrument on digital trade, positioning the African continent to benefit from the digital economy for innovation and job creation,” former President Issoufou said.
The former Nigerien leader observed that young Africans are leaders in digital innovation, particularly in mobile banking and other digitally enabled services.
”The AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade will establish a conducive environment for these young people to fully participate in Africa’s digital economy,” he added.
Reflecting on the Digital Economy Roundtable in Abuja, Issoufou commended President Bola Tinubu and his administration for convening the event and inviting the AfCFTA Secretariat to participate.
”The Roundtable was attended by young pioneers in Fintech, mobile banking and other areas of the digital economy.
”It was evident from the discussions that young people are eager to take advantage of Africa’s digital economy through the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade,” the former Niger president said in his progress report to the 38th Assembly.
On the significance of the AU endorsement of Nigeria, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, told the summit:
“Africa has demonstrated global leadership by pioneering the first-of-its-kind AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade—establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework.
“The Assembly of Heads of State and Government has officially designated Nigeria as AfCFTA Digital Trade Champion. The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is a game changer in advancing Africa’s economic development. It is set to create millions of jobs for Africa’s growing, tech-savvy youth, contribute billions to the continent’s GDP and attract substantial investments for public digital infrastructure across African nations.”
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
February 17, 2025
