It began to rain as soon as Bridget Mosanya reached into her bag for a book to study. Even though it is hardly raining, the electricity quickly went off, as it almost always does in Nigeria.
The 17-year-old stated in her now-dark chamber, “Nepa has taken light.” She was alluding to the long-gone national electric power authority, a public utility whose acronym is still frequently used to refer to the erratic power supply provided by Nigeria’s flimsy electric grid.
The living room, master bedroom, and daughter’s room were all illuminated by the family’s little solar system after her father, Tunde Mosanya, turned it on. Bridget had ample time to complete her homework that evening.
However, 13-year-old Bamkinaan Panshak would have to wait till the power was restored or make due with his parents’ partially charged cellphone flashlight across the street in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
Because they don’t have a solar system, his family used to turn on their gasoline-powered backup generator when there were blackouts. However, they are unable to afford the cost of petrol due to a subsidy that the new president Bola Tinubu revoked.
“It is just beyond means for now,” said Bamkinaan’s father, Guleng Panshak, who is a teacher.
According to operators, demand in solar has surged since the long-running fuel subsidy ended last month, which might hasten Africa’s largest economy’s progress in combating climate change.
To make the most of this fresh opportunity to progress Nigeria’s climate goals, which include getting rid of the common fossil fuel-powered generators used to keep the lights on in homes and businesses, experts say the government needs a clear plan. It was common, although both environmentally and financially harmful, to reduce fuel expenses.
Nigeria spent $4.39 trillion naira ($9.7 billion) on the subsidies, according to the national oil corporation NNPC, last year, making it difficult for the government to fund infrastructure initiatives like rail lines that may lower automobile emissions.
Now that there is a power outage, Bridget’s father, Mosanya, wants to use solar energy instead of gasoline to power all of household appliances, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and televisions.
According to Lagos-based energy engineer Kunle Adesiyan, installing a larger 4-kilowatt solar array would satisfy Mosanya’s needs and cost “conservatively” 3 million naira ($6,452).
The majority of families and small companies cannot afford that price.
Energy economist Tobi Oluwatola argued that without a comprehensive plan to make renewable energy more widely available and reasonably priced, any possible environmental benefits of abolishing the fuel subsidies would be lost.
For people who utilise solar energy and companies that install solar panels, he suggested incentives including tax credits and low-interest financing.
“Nigeria also needs to implement its net metering policy to allow solar owners to sell excess power to the grid during the day and reduce their net electricity bills. This would reduce the need for battery storage,” said Oluwatola, CEO of Tao energy in Abuja.
Ifeanyi Ogbonna is being held back by the price.
He said constructing the system would be expensive given that his company needs a refrigerator and air conditioner but that he operates a drugstore in Abuja and would prefer to use solar power. He will therefore continue to use his gas-powered generator.
Even though gas prices have increased, Ogbonna said, “I can still struggle to cover regular expenses because they pale in comparison to investing more than a million naira all at once to get the solar power I need.
According to Adaju of the renewable energy group, incentives like waivers on customs charges for imported solar equipment would also assist increase access to off-grid solar energy for households and businesses.
According to Abdullahi Maiwada, a representative for the Nigerian customs agency, these fees are applicable except when raw materials are imported to manufacture solar systems and create value in Nigeria.
To stop or scale back the fees on imported solar equipment, he claimed that the government’s budgetary policies would need to be revised.
Climate change was not a top priority for Tinubu’s campaign, and since taking office, he has not made clear how he intends to deal with it. A request for response was not immediately answered by the president’s office.
Following South Africa, Nigeria is the continent’s second-largest carbon emitter, and it is severely impacted by the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, flooding, and increased war.
