7 Will a Transition to Renewable Energy Promote …
235
power generation and supply mix.
14 To put it in a more mathematical perspective, electricity generated from gas in the third quarter of
2019 was approximately 3801 MW of the total 5093 MW per day.
The NERC, in effect, has expressed a concern that gas dominance in
power generation heralds a grave security implication of energy supply
for Nigeria. Gas prioritization is unsurprising because of its comparative
efficiency and low-carbon emissions,
15 richness and cost-effectiveness in
terms of gas-fired power plants, but such dominance reveals a weakness
in the power generation structure.
16
Though unsurprisingly, demand for power currently exceeds supply as
the majority of Nigerians lack access to electricity, even amid predominant conventional energy resources exploitation. The United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) in its fact sheet indicates that about 45% of Nigerians have access to the national power
grid, with a lack of unequal access among rural and urban dwellers.
17
This population also faces persistent power outage in unequal real times.
Besides, it has been shown that about 20 million people are unconnected to the national electricity grid.
18 The increasing population
growth in Nigeria, and the ongoing global coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic
19 are likely to impact her electricity generation efforts
adversely to perceptible slower progress.
14 NERC Quarterly Report (n 11) 29.
15 Martin Lambert, ‘Decarbonization of Gas’ (2020) OIES Paper 121, at 29, Oxford University.
16 Chukwueyem S. Rapu and others, ‘Analysis of Energy Conditions in Nigeria’ (2015) CBN
Occasional Paper No. 55, https://www.cbn.gov.ng/out/2017/rsd/analysis%20of%20energy.pdf,
accessed 20 April 2020.
17 USAID, ‘Nigeria: Power Africa Fact Sheet’, https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/docume
nts/1860/Nigeria_-_November_2018_Country_Fact_Sheet.pdf, accessed 9 April 2020.
18 Ibid.
19 The usual practice by which Nigeria translates her crude oil into usable economic product
focuses on exportation-re-importation cycle process. Therefore, Nigeria’s electricity sector efforts
are likely to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic if the country is unable to export
her crude oil for refinement and re-importation for local use due to containment lockdown
measures of overseas governments or countries especially in countries where such refinement
is usually done. Besides, production contracts and supply chain-related contracts in the energy
or electricity sector are also likely to be impacted if performance is rendered impracticable,
as either contracting party may raise a force majeure excuse. The impact may be short-term,
depending on how long the pandemic lasts.
235
power generation and supply mix.
14 To put it in a more mathematical perspective, electricity generated from gas in the third quarter of
2019 was approximately 3801 MW of the total 5093 MW per day.
The NERC, in effect, has expressed a concern that gas dominance in
power generation heralds a grave security implication of energy supply
for Nigeria. Gas prioritization is unsurprising because of its comparative
efficiency and low-carbon emissions,
15 richness and cost-effectiveness in
terms of gas-fired power plants, but such dominance reveals a weakness
in the power generation structure.
16
Though unsurprisingly, demand for power currently exceeds supply as
the majority of Nigerians lack access to electricity, even amid predominant conventional energy resources exploitation. The United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) in its fact sheet indicates that about 45% of Nigerians have access to the national power
grid, with a lack of unequal access among rural and urban dwellers.
17
This population also faces persistent power outage in unequal real times.
Besides, it has been shown that about 20 million people are unconnected to the national electricity grid.
18 The increasing population
growth in Nigeria, and the ongoing global coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic
19 are likely to impact her electricity generation efforts
adversely to perceptible slower progress.
14 NERC Quarterly Report (n 11) 29.
15 Martin Lambert, ‘Decarbonization of Gas’ (2020) OIES Paper 121, at 29, Oxford University.
16 Chukwueyem S. Rapu and others, ‘Analysis of Energy Conditions in Nigeria’ (2015) CBN
Occasional Paper No. 55, https://www.cbn.gov.ng/out/2017/rsd/analysis%20of%20energy.pdf,
accessed 20 April 2020.
17 USAID, ‘Nigeria: Power Africa Fact Sheet’, https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/docume
nts/1860/Nigeria_-_November_2018_Country_Fact_Sheet.pdf, accessed 9 April 2020.
18 Ibid.
19 The usual practice by which Nigeria translates her crude oil into usable economic product
focuses on exportation-re-importation cycle process. Therefore, Nigeria’s electricity sector efforts
are likely to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic if the country is unable to export
her crude oil for refinement and re-importation for local use due to containment lockdown
measures of overseas governments or countries especially in countries where such refinement
is usually done. Besides, production contracts and supply chain-related contracts in the energy
or electricity sector are also likely to be impacted if performance is rendered impracticable,
as either contracting party may raise a force majeure excuse. The impact may be short-term,
depending on how long the pandemic lasts.