Introduction
Despite being a resource abundant country, Nigeria has a serious issue of energy poverty. In 2009, 58% of the country was without access to modern energy services (Sovacool 226). Energy poverty can be considered a deprivation in relation to diminishing impoverished peoples’ “choices to access certain material goods, assets, capabilities, freedoms and opportunities” (Pachauri 2084). The frameworks of availability, intragenerational equity, and sustainability identify current Nigerian energy injustices. However, there are feasible renewable energy sources that could help improve and reduce these energy injustices, especially in rural communities, which have the least access to modern energy sources.
Energy Background
Nigeria is one of the top members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and natural resource extraction is a mainstay of the Nigerian economy (Mohammed 258). However, an alarming number of Nigerians are without access to electricity. This disparity between resource richness and access is seen most acutely in rural regions of Nigeria. Only 11% of the rural Nigerian population has access to electricity as compared to the national rate of 42% (Mohammed 259). This has led to a heavy reliance on more primitive energy sources that have severe health and societal ramifications, including indoor air pollution, lack of refrigeration and medical care, and injuries incurred during fuel wood collection (Sovacool 228). The lack of access is due to poor energy grid systems and infrastructure. Rural communities are mostly located in more difficult terrains connected by bad roads and are often far away from connection points on utility grids (Shaaban 74). Continuing reliance on non-renewable energy sources is not sustainable as Nigeria’s fossil fuels are estimated to run out by the year 2050 (Shaaban 73).
Considering Nigeria’s inefficient use of its natural resources and their predicted depletion, alternate energy sources must be considered. In fact, Nigeria’s National Energy Policy (NEP) set a goal to provide accessible electricity to three-quarters of its population by 2020 and to broaden its energy options. Therefore, there is political precedent and governmental support to pursue energy sources such as renewable energies to improve electricity accessibility (Shaaban 79).
Renewable Energy Feasibility
Above ground in Nigeria there are several abundant renewable resources that have been otherwise untapped that can provide opportunities for energy justice. Many renewable energy sources are advantageous in that they can be purposefully created on a small-scale so that they do not have to connect to an electric grid, can be isolated, and use energy resources more efficiently (Sovacool 246).
Biomass
Biomass power sources come from agriculture, forests, municipal and animal wastes at a collective reserve estimate of 8×102 MJ (Shabaan 77). Considering that 80% of Nigeria’s landscape is cultivatable, agricultural residue, most especially from its cereal crops, is a feasible renewable energy source to pursue (Mohammed 260). Forest biomass is currently being used unsustainably due to rural individuals dependence on fuel woods for their most basic energy needs (Mohammed 261). Municipal waste conversion is best suited for Nigerian cities such as Lagos, whereas animal waste is more applicable for rural communities, especially in the northeast and northwestern parts of the countries that depend on livestock based farming. (Mohammed 262).
Wind
This is least feasible renewable energy source in Nigeria, as its potential is considered to be weak to moderate by scientists. Wind energy projects in rural communities have been failures so far due to lack of governmental support, financial shortages, and workers’ lack of systems knowledge (Mohammed 264). In the highly populated southern part of the nation the wind speeds are weak, except for in the coastal and offshore locations where vis-à-vis oil extraction occurs (e.g. Niger Delta) and will always be prioritized higher for economic purposes (Shabaan 77).
Solar
Solar energy is likely the most feasible renewable energy source for remote rural communities that are disconnected from the national grid, as it can be highly efficient as a small-scale source. Solar energy is also highly abundant due to the amount radiated to the nation’s surface, in fact “the total energy demand of the nation could be met if only .1% of the total solar energy radiant on Nigeria’s land mass is converted at an efficiency of 1%” (Shabaan 76).
Hydropower
Between the two types of hydropower, small and large, the former is best suited for supporting rural communities, as it is the least environmentally destructive, requires lower civil works, is conducive to Nigerian geography, and its power generation complements rural micro-economies livelihoods by helping with flood prevention, irrigation, and fishery (Shabaan 76).
Availability
Availability is an energy justice framework that examines the accessibility and reliability of electricity (Sovacool 367). Currently, Nigeria fails in the respect of accessibility as less than a majority of its citizens have access to electricity in the first place (Mohammed 259). Furthermore, the electricity that it does provide in unreliable due to faulty grid infrastructure and blackouts that cost the economy a billions dollars each year (Sovacool 228). By utilizing renewable energy sources to provide cleaner, efficient electricity the accessibility of electricity will be increased dramatically, especially within rural communities (Sovacool 246). Renewable energies are also more reliant as they provide infinite, uninterrupted energy flow. Furthermore, if these renewable energy projects are small scale they will circumvent the larger problem of a lacking efficient national grid by creating their own. Granted this is not completely solving the overall energy injustice of availability, but it does take great strides in improving rural communities accessibility to electricity and providing more reliable energy alternatives than woodstoves and diesel generators (Shaaban 74). This issue of providing better energy sources for rural areas transitions well into the next energy framework of intragenerational justice.
Intragenerational
Intragenerational justice addresses the distribution of energy in regards that every person has the right to energy access (Sovacool 367). Presently, the energy access distribution is skewed in the opposite favor of rural Nigerians due to ineffective grid infrastructure, which is an energy injustice. Harnessing renewable energy sources, specifically solar, small hydropower, and agricultural and animal biomass, would help establish modern energy accessibility in remote Nigeria and increase the percentage of rural Nigerians with electricity access to be closer to their city-dwelling counterparts. This framework is addressed in Nigeria’s National Energy Plan, by promoting the importance and support for increasing energy accessibility for all Nigerians and finding reliable sources for rural communities (Shaaban 79).
Sustainability
The justice framework of sustainability means that resources must not be depleted completely nor harm the environment in their extraction. Nigeria’s current reliance on fossil fuels is not sustainable due to their aforementioned exhaustion by 2050 and their many environmentally damaging consequences, such as oil spills. Oil spills in Nigeria are especially common and are not only blaringly damaging to the environment and surrounding ecosystems, but they also lead to serious human health problems (Amnesty International). Renewable energy sources are covetable both for their infiniteness and their cleanliness, such as no CO2 emissions. Another sustainability injustice is the 70% of fuel consumption stemming from fuel wood alone. This dependency can be lessened by access to affordable other fuel sources via increased utilization of renewable energies; stricter forest protection policies; and educational awareness about the negative effects of deforestation (Mohammed 261).
Conclusion
Nigeria is on the precipice of decline due to its energy poverty and consequential energy injustices of availability, intragenerational access, and sustainability. However, the plentiful renewable energy sources of Nigeria have the capacity to provide increased modern energy access. Rural communities that have been disproportionally disadvantaged thus far could be most especially impacted. Effective market-based policies are crucial for the development and investment of renewable energies. Cultural challenges such as level of awareness and educational backgrounds must be addressed so that Nigerians can promote such renewable energy development themselves. It is critical to understand that this case study highlights current conflictions with energy justice frameworks but identifies a feasible pathway, via renewable energy sources, towards improving energy justice in Nigeria.
Bibliography
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Mohammed, Y., Mustafa, M., Bashir, N., & Mokhtar, A. (2013). Renewable energy resources for distributed power generation in Nigeria: A review of the potential. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, (22), 257-268.
Pachauri, S., Mueller, A., Kemmler, A., & Spreng, D. (2004). On Measuring Energy Poverty in Indian Households. World Development, 2083-2104.
Shaaban, M., & Petinrin, J. (2013). Renewable energy potentials in Nigeria: Meeting rural energy needs. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, (29), 72-84.
Sovacool, B., & Dworkin, M. (2014). Global energy justice: Problems, principles, and practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.