The Nigeria Alternative Energy Exhibition (NAEE 2013) ended at ShehuYar' Adua Convention Centre in Abuja after a successful third edition of one of Africa's biggest energy forum.

Nigeria Alternative Energy EXPO 2013

Contributed by | The Nigeria Alternative Energy Exhibition

The Nigeria Alternative Energy Exhibition (NAEE 2013) ended at ShehuYar’ Adua Convention Centre in Abuja after a successful third edition of one of Africa’s biggest energy forum.

The Conference was declared open by the Hon. Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo who was represented by his senior Personal Assistant, Dr. Albert Okorogu along with a large delegation from the ministry’s parastatals. Similarly the technical adviser on the Presidential Task Force on Power, Dr. Stephen Ogaji also presented good will message.  The Hon. Minister of Environment was represented by the National Coordinator, Renewable Energy Programme, Mrs. BahjjahatuAbubakar.

Over 30 local and international exhibitors and sponsors participated at the conference. They included the large contingent sent by the South African Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Export Development Council for the third consecutive editions as well as the world number one photovoltaic module manufacturing giant, Trina Solar  which is listed in NYSE and operates in more than 23 countries worldwide. Other specialist environmental enterprises in Nigeria and abroad featured at the expo that showcased the latest technology and products from various aspect of renewable energy.

Well informed academic and strategic research papers were presented by various engineering groups on solar, biomass, wind, tidal wave power sources.. In a welcome address by the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Sir Emmanuel Onyejeose commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its political will and commitment in its privatization of public power utility and the take-off of the Independent Power Providers, (IPP) and the introduction of the distribution companies, (DISCOs) which will fully take-over from the inefficient PHCN.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, based on various discussant groups drawn from local and international assessors, which included the Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Energy, Alhaji Sharu Mohammed and Edward Rae, the CEO of Current Automation from South Africa and an Executive Director and president Africa of Trina Solar, Mr. Marcus Rother, the following points were address:

  • Conscious of the prevailing poor energy generating capacity and inadequate transmission utilization arising from lack of maintenance culture, inappropriate technological leverage, the experts and stakeholders urged public policy makers to urgently effective regulatory measures to enhance desirable power generation capacity from available renewable energy resources.
  • Called for the implementation of effective maintenance culture on projects and facilities to enhance sustainability of production utilities and projects,
  • Contract projects should be people-oriented in design concepts, policy and programmes with built-in effective monitoring and evaluation schemes that are devoid of corrupt practices.
  • Environmental hazards linked to climatic change such as depletion of the ozone layer, desertification, deforestation, erosion, drainage and flooding must be curbed by environment and construction experts with adequate structure based on impeachable integrity,
  • Need for determined efforts and commitment to impose transparency and effective governance in public service delivery aimed at protecting public utility at all times and places.
  • On transfer and acquisition of technology aimed leveraging productive capacity, the conference participants stressed the need for identifying appropriate and affordable technological options based on need and availability of skill and know-how.
  • Technology transfer agreements must be meaningful with adequate information on product and/or production sustainability where faking in avoided and service quality is guaranteed based on available funding options and quality standard commitment.
  • Opportunity cost must be identifiable and applicable in the host country on the basis of checks and balance of the offering terms of the supplier.
  • Technology on the offer must be transferable with clauses on immutable train-the -trainer commitment, research and development assistance for the transferee.
  • Technology transfer process must leverage entrepreneurship advantage and empowerment possibility in the host country.
  • It must conform to the industrial ISO quality standard which public policy makers must pursue with commitment passion in enforcing,
  • For effective entrepreneurship, there must be built-in continuous regulatory and monitoring clauses and made mutually enforceable aimed at ensuring proper performance.
  • Funding must be guaranteed to the entrepreneurs as motivating factor for effective performance.

 

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag

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