Energy poverty and environmental sustainability in Nigeria: an exploratory assessment

Nwozor, Agaptus and Oshewolo, Segun and Ogundele, Oluwaseun (2019) Energy poverty and environmental sustainability in Nigeria: an exploratory assessment. International Conference on Energy and Sustainable Environment, 331.

Text Nwozor_2019_IOP_Conf._Ser.__Earth_Environ._Sci._331_012033.pdf - Published Version Download (2MB)

Abstract

Energy constitutes an indispensable catalyst for sustainable socio-economic development. The imperative of energy security is highlighted by the pervasive energy poverty that characterizes developing countries, especially Nigeria. Despite being a major oil producer and having four refineries, Nigeria imports 90 percent of its domestically needed refined petroleum products. Similarly, Nigeria requires about 98,000 megawatts (MW) to achieve national electricity security. However, its thermal and hydropower stations have a combined installed capacity of only 12,522MW but generate between 3,000MW and 4,000MW and sometimes less than 3,000MW. The electricity challenge is deepened by fluctuations. The implications of this suboptimal power generation include: only 40 percent of Nigeria’s 193 million population have access to electricity, erratic nature of electricity supply and the long hours of power outages. Thus, Nigeria can be categorized as an energy poor country. The major goal of this paper is to assess the link between energy poverty and environmental sustainability given that households must take alternative steps to bridge energy gaps that impact them. It further evaluates the opportunities and barriers to energy security and holds that the untapped potentials, especially among renewable energy resources, hold the key to sustainable energy development to tackle energy poverty in Nigeria.

Actions (login required)

View Item