A professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Emenike Ejiogu has called on Nigeria government to liberalize the generation and distribution of electricity through the gasification technology.Prof Ejiogu, made the proposition when he delivered the 190th inaugural lecture of thetitled: “My Engineering Odyssey: Energy Security, Energy Sustainability and Bringing Power to the People.
He said that the gasification technology, which converts municipal and agricultural organic wastes to energy, presents a viable option to give Nigerians clean and affordable energy. Ejiogu, who doubles as the Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Director, Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development said that the gasification technology has the potential to inject over 6000MW of electricity into the Nigerian economy within a short period of time.
According to him, a study carried out by his team to assess the waste to energy generation potential of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and its environs showed that the city had enough waste to generate about 20MW of electric power.He argued that a replication of similar potentials in 300 localities in Nigeria would ensure a rapid injection of 6000MW of electricity into the economy.
He said: “With 6000MW of electric energy available by distributed generation all over Nigeria, we would really have given power to the people.”