By Junaidu Danladi
Recently, the Bola Tinubu-led administration has approved the N10 billion for the installation of solar power infrastructure at the State House Aso Rock Presidential Villa. This decision has generated criticisms from many Nigerians citing the cost, timing and the fate of national grid as the main concerns. I was reluctant to express my view on this issue because many divergent views were already provided. I agreed with many of them. Some people including government officials and energy experts have supported and defended this project on the view that it will be cost effective and environment-friendly. Let me cite few of them as examples. The Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga has defended the project saying it mirrors global standards for presidential residences, including the White House in Washington, D.C., which has adopted solar energy as part of its power supply strategy. Also, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, has defended this project as it is part of efforts to reduce the cost of governance and promote cleaner, more sustainable energy use. He added that it will bring uninterrupted and clean energy, create jobs, foster innovation among Nigerian engineers and energy experts, and ultimately reduce pressure on the national grid. “It is unsustainable for the Aso Rock Villa to continue to pay about N47 billion annually in power bills” On the other hand, some energy experts supported project largely on the ground that solar is clean energy with minimum challenges posed to environment especially in the wake of global climate change. Some also claimed that epileptic electricity at the Villa is a national embarrassment. However, let me digest these views. Yes, it’s true that solar is environment-friendly and is an effective way to ensure steady power supply in this country. But is this the main concern of the government for this project. As it now this project is exclusively for Presidential Villa. But of other parts of Abuja and the entire country? Can this really reduce the effects environmental hazard causes by the use of generators and other energy sources? For the issue of national embarrassment, is this the only national embarrassment that we should end with N10 billion. What of the pervasive corruption ravaging the country. What of the incessant national grid collapse that usually plunge the country into darkness for days or weeks! Also the fact that solar is use in White House cannot be a concrete reason to justify this project. To make the comparison more clear, does solar or electricity generally is adequately supplied to the White House only or it’s also available in the most remote village in America. If we can go by this comparison then electricity or in this case solar should also be installed in all parts of the country, including my village!
Recently it was widely reported in the national dailies that major states including Kano usually receive electricity supply from the so-called national grid for only two hours daily. As I am writing this piece, the electricity generation, transmission and distribution in the entire country do not exceed 6000 megawatts. Yes we cannot blame this government solely for this mess as it persists for about forty years now! I am not totally against this project. But I have serious concern that it can be an indication of total failure of Nigerian-state to provide adequate electric power for the Nigerians which ought to be its primary responsibility. It also implies that all institutions and even individuals that could afford should go for solar. Then what would be the fate of millions of Nigerians including artisans that are not privileged to install the expensive-solar. What is the overall consequences of this action on national development? Can this lead to the country’s desired development especially the industrialization drive It’s also convenient to reiterate here that how confident we are that the said amount would be judiciously use in this project and that it would guaranteed constant power supply in the Villa. We need to remember that during the Buhari-led administration similar billions of naira were earmarked for the rehabilitation of Villa Health Facility to a supposedly global-standard. Alas, it was later confirmed that the facility was not renovated to even Daura standard!
Finally, I can say that this project can be a good initiative at least to the Villa residents. It’s true that throughout the history of electricity in Nigeria preference was given to government headquarters and institutions. As I argued somewhere that this was largely due fact that the supply was mostly inadequate which made it necessary to give priority the privileged few at the detriment of the major. But let me ask that what would be the fate of national grid and steady power supply to ordinary Nigerians? What is good for the gander should also good for the gander. Thus, similar pragmatic approach should the extended to the entire country.
