- Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule criticised Nigeria’s stagnant power generation, noting that the country still produces under 6,000 MW despite the 2009 Vision 20:2020 goal of 50,000 MW.
- At the COREN Engineering Assembly, Sule called for a shift to cleaner energy sources, while COREN President Sadiq Abubakar unveiled a new technique to address building collapses in Nigeria.
Nasarawa State Governor Engineer Abdullahi Sule voiced strong concerns about Nigeria’s stagnant electricity generation on Tuesday, August 3, 2024, fifteen years after the ambitious Vision 20:2020 plan was launched.
At the 32nd Engineering Assembly in Abuja, organised by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Sule highlighted the significant gap between the plan’s goals and current power generation capabilities.
Introduced in 2009, Vision 20:2020 aimed to boost Nigeria’s electricity generation to 50,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020, positioning the country as one of the world’s top twenty economies. However, after 15 years, Nigeria continues to struggle to generate more than 6,000 MW. Sule, a member of the power committee involved in creating Vision 20:2020, criticized the failure to meet these targets.
“We committed in 2009 that Nigeria would generate 50,000 MW by 2020, yet here we are, fifteen years later, still producing less than 6,000 MW,” Sule said. He emphasised the need for Nigeria to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, which the country has in abundance. The governor stressed that achieving this transition is crucial for improving the power sector and meeting the nation’s energy needs.
Sule also advocated a renewed focus on mining as a significant revenue source. He noted that Nasarawa State alone contributes over N1 billion annually to the federation account, underscoring the state’s potential to bolster national revenue through increased mining activities.
In a related discussion, Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, underscored the importance of the standards set by COREN and the role of professional ethics in ensuring the quality, safety, and resilience of Nigeria’s housing and infrastructure projects. Dangiwa praised the ongoing reforms within COREN aimed at effectively implementing the provisions of the COREN amended Act, which focuses on monitoring and enforcing compliance in engineering practices.
Engineer Sadiq Abubakar, President of COREN, announced that the Council has developed a new technique to investigate the underlying issues contributing to building collapses in Nigeria. “For the first time, we will x-ray the sector to identify and address the factors that lead to building failures. Our comprehensive technique will track and assess every stage of the construction process,” Abubakar explained.
The discussions at the assembly reflected a broader concern about Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges and a commitment to advancing solutions through improved standards and innovative techniques.