Energy poverty will continue without policy framework, Senator tells FG

The federal government has been urged to implement a policy framework to tackle the energy problem in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Yunus Abiodun, said without a policy framework, energy poverty in the country will continue.

Speaking at the weekend in Uyo during the 2nd Prof. Nyaudo Ndaeyo’s Public Lecture on the theme, “Addressing Energy Poverty in Nigeria: Insights and Implementations for Rural Areas”, Abiodun said without the framework, development in rural communities will continue to suffer and potential across generations will be locked down.

The senator said: ““If appropriate policy frameworks are not put in place, the challenges of energy poverty will continue to ravage the rural communities and lock down their development potentials across generations.

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“This is because people will naturally resort to the crude use of biomass fuel which would eventually lead to deforestation, exposure to unclean indoor air and other environmental and health hazards that may result from noise generated from power generating sets and greenhouse gases

“The burning of solid fuel fills the houses and huts in poorer rural communities with smoke that kills the world’s poor by causing pneumonia, stroke. heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. The solid fuels responsible for this unwholesome experience include wood, crop residues, dung, charcoal, and coal.

“The solution to this is not far-fetched: a shift from solid fuels to modern energy sources. A major reason for Nigeria’s seemingly intractable energy poverty is its reliance on non-renewable energy sources and non-utilisation of its abundantly available renewable sources.”