An entrepreneur, Babatunde Morakinyo, has called for use of renewable energy to eradicate mass poverty in the country, particularly in the North, taking advantage of the region’s sunshine.
Morakinyo, who made this known while speaking with newsmen in Abuja, stressed the need to get 87 per cent of the people of that region out of poverty.
The businessman based his statistics on a World Bank report which estimates that 87 per cent of poor Nigerians live in the North and a large number of those specifically in the North West.
He pointed out that it was impossible to grow the Nigeria’s economy without lifting the vast majority of poor Nigerians in the north out of poverty.
According to him, deploying solar energy to grow businesses in the region would be very easy, stressing that the North is abundantly blessed with adequate sunshine to power it.
While taking cognisance of the ongoing battle against insurgency, he, however, pointed out that it was pertinent to grow the economy simultaneously so that it would be booming by the time the battle was won.
Morankinyo noted that deploying renewable energy to grow the region would also positively engage the youths and prevent them from getting involved in acts that were destroying the region’s economy.
“The implication of this World Bank report is that Nigeria as a country, has a long way to go in achieving sustainable development.
“It should be taken into cognisance that the North is the larger of the two regions in the country and without fixing the North, we cannot fix Nigeria.
“Poverty in the North can be totally eradicated through harnessing the huge potentials presented by the abundance of solar energy in the region.
“While security agencies battle Insurgency, economic development must go on at the same time in a bid to engage citizens productively.
“As a professional in the renewable energy sector, the North is well positioned to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development through investment in that area,” he said.
According to him, he has first-hand experience of how renewable energy has improved the quality of lives, and that his company, Stomberg Power limited, has provided such facilities in some parts of the country.
He said with Stomberg’s latest project, Zamfara Airport will be the first 100 per cent off-grid powered airport in Nigeria.
Morakinyo said it was a clear example of the abundant solar resource available in the North, expressing optimism that the project would create hundreds of jobs along the value chain.
