The Federal Government says Nigeria will join other countries of the world to exploit atomic materials to boost energy supply.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, made this known yesterday, at the Validation Workshop of the Draft Revised National Energy Policy and its related Master Plan in Abuja.
Onu said Nigeria is watching with keen interest the ongoing research in many countries on nuclear fusion technology for energy use and would venture into it to boost energy generation in the country.
“The progress made in this research may appear small, but it is very significant and important in energy generation. The countries involved in this research in nuclear fusion, are planning to achieve energy sufficiency in the future,” he said.
He noted that a National Energy Policy and master plan are imperative to guide energy development in a coordinated manner.
He added that the policy is important, as it is actively sought by investors, development partners and scholars who intend to use it for the development of this sector.
The National Energy Policy (NEP) provides policies for long term coordinated energy development for our energy security in an environmentally sustainable manner and with the active participation of the private sector.
Onu said: “While the National Energy Policy (NEP) provided policies for long term coordinated energy development for our energy security in an environmentally sustainable manner and with the active participation of the private sector, the Energy Master Plan provides the roadmap for achieving the policy objectives through activities and programmes with timelines.”
He also argued energy affects development in all sectors of the economy, such as transportation, health, agriculture, industry, education, security etc.
Also commenting, the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Abdullahi, said the NEP is a policy, which articulates the way and manner the government intends to develop its energy sector, and provides the general roadmap for the achievement of the objectives with timelines.
To this end, he said local and international energy commissions will initiate policies to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on renewable energy, and also provide a roadmap for sustainable energy solutions in Nigeria against future domestic and global challenges.
At the end of the workshop, professionals from the energy sector and stakeholders who made a thorough review of the document submitted their recommendations before the final adoption of the document by the participants for onward approval by the Federal Executive Council.
