Renewable Energy
The Future of Renewable Energy in West Africa
by Ogechukwu Ojimaduekwu Ajoku
Communities in West Africa suffer difficulties accessing un-interrupted power supply. This has made life very unbearable. As a solution to this there is now the urge to resort to alternative power supply by wind turbine, gas turbine, solar energy or bio fuel, which is yet to be fully developed in West Africa. These are energy sources that are sustainable and clean, except gas turbine. They are otherwise popularly known as renewable energy. They are environmental, as well as community friendly. They are also affordable. What it now required is enabling government policy and institutional support for the development and utility of this energy source. This will also reduce the over dependence on fossil fuel from crude oil.
This sector is hitherto dominated by small scale entrepreneurs and local farmers. However, despite the huge potentials and strong commitments by the governments and multinationals, there is little achieved in the development of renewable energy technology as source of energy supply to replace the traditional source from fossils fuels production. This is attributed to numerous challenges which include reliance on foreign investments to develop the sector, poor implementation of stimulus packages due to policy inconsistencies, conflicting laws and regulations which diminish the trust of investors on the initiative to resort to renewable energy technology. Other concerns of investors are poor public enlightenment, insufficient incentives policies to promote investments in the sector, and much more.
The problems facing the future of renewable energy in West Africa are not intractable. It is very imperative for governments to formulate ways to address these problems. There is need to boost agricultural production that leads to providing means of livelihood for teeming rural dwellers and urban poor. Therefore, governments in West Africa need to seek viable sources of funding to invest in renewable energy technological to enhance uninterrupted power supply and thereby mitigate the challenge of dependence on foreign investors and short-term commitment. Sincere efforts should be made towards ensuring that conflicting laws are not formulated and also guarantee that production costs are reduced. There is also the need to mitigate the risk of low yields, pests and diseases of the agricultural crops. Finally, government should devise mechanism to understanding severity of challenges local farmers contend. This is because the future of renewable energy in West Africa depends on the agricultural policy of states and modernisation of home-grown technology employed by local entrepreneurs, and poor farmers. Government should also ensure access to finance by serious local investors.
Renewable energy is an emerging trend in global energy policy. In a bid to tackle environmental challenge caused by climate change, protect economics against rising crude oil price in the international oil market, and also reduce over dependence on crude oil economy, renewable energy source from bio fuel, etc. is now regarded as viable source of energy1.
1Growing pains: the possibilities and problems of Bio fuels, Christian aid 2009 report, www.christian-aid.org.uk \ images\ bio fuels- report, accessed 1\7\2014
Ogechukwu Ojimaduekwu Ajoku
Law Practitioner and Consultant
Principal(Heir): Ojimaduekwu Solicitors & Attorneys
Read more about Ogechukwu and his view on being a futurist.
Features Archive
- Green Energy
- Climate Change III
- Climate Change II
- Farming II
- Farming
- Banking VI
- Banking V
- Banking IV
- Politics III
- Politics II
- Politics
- AI Ethics IV
- AI Ethics III
- AI Ethics II
- AI Ethics
- Waste III
- Medicine
- Water IV
- Water III
- Creativity
- Solar Energy II
- Solar Energy
- Fashion
- Fashion II
- Humans IV
- Humans III
- Humans II
- Humans
- Money V
- Money IV
- Money III
- Money II
- Money
- Urban Futures II
- Urban Futures
- Ageing II
- Ageing
- Space IV
- Space III
- Space II
- Space
- Governments
- Metaverse IV
- Metaverse III
- Metaverse II
- Metaverse
- Technology III
- Technology IV
- Technology II
- Privacy III
- Privacy II
- Privacy
- Meat IV
- Meat III
- Meat II
- Meat
- Housing III
- Housing II
- Housing
- Retail
- Insurance
- Logistics II
- Logistics
- Mobile II
- Security III
- Security II
- Language II
- Tourism Post-Covid-19
- Entertainment Post-Covid-19 II
- Entertainment Post-Covid-19
- Cities Post-Covid-19
- Work Post-Covid-19 III
- Work Post-Covid-19 II
- Work Post-Covid-19
- Post-Covid-19 Economy II
- Post-Covid-19 Economy
- Education Post-Covid-19 II
- Education Post-Covid-19
- Post-Covid-19 V
- Post-Covid-19 IV
- Post-Covid-19 III
- Post-Covid-19 II
- Post-Covid-19
- Pandemics V
- Pandemics IV
- Pandemics III
- Pandemics II
- Pandemics
- Food II
- Food
- Futures V
- Futures IV
- Cars V
- Cars IV
- Cars III
- Cars II
- Cars
- Futures III
- Futures II
- Futures
- Education XI
- Education X
- Education IX
- Cities VI
- Cities V
- Cities IV
- AfriCities VIII
- AfriCities VII
- AfriCities VI
- AfriCities V
- AfriCities IV
- AfriCities III
- AfriCities II
- Youth II
- Migrants II
- Foresight IV
- Foresight III
- Higher Education VII
- Agriculture VII
- Work III
- Work/Women
- Cities III
- Carbon Tax
- Higher Education VI
- Higher Education V
- Higher Education IV
- Higher Education III
- Higher Education II
- Higher Education
- Banking III
- Banking II
- Banking
- Humanity VII
- Humanity VI
- Humanity V
- Humanity IV
- Humanity III
- Women V
- Digitalisation of Informal sector
- Islamic Economy
- Drones VII
- Drones VI
- Drones V
- Drones IV
- Drones III
- Drones II
- Drones
- Digital Health III
- Digital Health II
- Digital Health
- Transport IV
- Transport III
- Transport II
- Transport
- Infrastructure V
- Infrastructure IV
- Infrastructure III
- Crime V
- Crime IV
- Crime III
- Crime II
- Crime
- Agriculture VI
- Agriculture V
- Agriculture IV
- Agriculture III
- Agriculture II
- Women IV
- Women III
- Women II
- Women
- Humanity II
- Humanity
- Artificial Intelligence V
- Artificial Intelligence IV
- Artificial Intelligence III
- Universal Basic Income
- Alternative Economies V
- Alternative Economies IV
- Foresight II
- Alternative Economies III
- Additive manufacturing
- Artificial Intelligence II
- AI Risk, Ethics & Regulation
- Waste II
- Mining II
- African Futures IV
- Education VIII
- Justice
- Libraries III
- Libraries II
- Libraries
- Education VII
- Education VI
- Education V
- Green Energy II
- Financial Systems III
- Education IV
- Alternative Economies II
- Research
- Education III
- Artificial Intelligence
- Economic Integration II
- Health Inequity
- Invisible Economy
- Future Thinking
- Pan Africanism VII
- Infrastructure
- Financial Systems
- Sustainability III
- Sustainability II
- Alternative Economies
- Water II
- Mega Trends 2015, 2010s, 2100s?
- AfriCities
- Energy
- Sustainability
- Families
- Prisons II
- Prisons
- Work II
- Work
- Health II
- Pan-Africanism VI
- African Futures III
- African Futures II
- African Futures
- Economic Integration
- Climate Action III
- Manufacturing
- Green Economy
- Climate Action II
- Climate Action
- Foresight
- Ethnicity & Tribalism
- Pan-Africanism V
- Youth Policy II
- Gender Equality II
- Gender Equality
- Youth Policy
- Migrants
- Waste
- Pan-Africanism IV
- Pan-Africanism III - East Africa
- Pan-Africanism II
- Pan-Africanism
- Philanthropy
- Renewable Energy III
- Renewable Energy II
- Renewable Energy
- Informal Cities III
- Informal Cities II
- Informal Cities
- Human Development
- Security
- Global Engaged Citizens - Upskilling for Post Growth Futures, Together
- System Thinking - Systems thinking and courage
- Thrivability II - New Movements
- Thrivability - Bottom Line to Full Circle
- Youth Unemployment
- Food Insecurity II
- Food Insecurity
- Language
- Globesity
- Kenya II
- Kenya
- Mining
- Infrastructure II
- Women & Poverty II
- Women & Poverty
- Cities II
- Cities
- Innovation
- Climate Change
- Agriculture
- Books
- Youth
- Mobile
- Regional Integration IV
- Regional Integration III
- Regional Integration II
- Regional Integration
- Fresh Water
- Education II
- Health
- Education
- Leisure
- Urban Poor
- Economy
- Peace
- Women
- Technology
- Environmental
- Democracy
- The brief called for a blog
- Post-oil
- Game Changers