Nigeria might as well be the first nation in history to have her citizens left behind in the journey into the smart economy. This prediction may not make much sense in the face of conventional wisdom as it is almost unthinkable to imagine government unaware of important goings-on in the country. After all, the people, they say, are the government. Right? Well, if we consider government as a conglomerate of inanimate agencies that Nigeria quite especially is, we will soon discover that the innovative tribes that I wrote about a couple of days ago are capable of outdoing the government on matters involving common sense, and in understanding of the times.
I love to affirm that I belong in this smart tribe. I boldly confess this because I strive to constantly be in touch with the real smart folks. I tell you, power is changing hands. The electric power is indeed changing hands as the Nigerian state, having failed to generate adequate power for her hundreds of thousands of businesses, is now gradually being faced with a twist whose implication is better imagined.
If we care to know, we would realize that power is now being sourced autonomously by the business community at a rate that would ultimately crash the insolent (not my word, please) electricity subsector.
Folks appear to be bidding a bye to the whole power nonsense. Last week, my assistant at the office who just left NYSC told me of banks in Zamfara state, where he served, that run completely on solar. It was right then that I recalled that I had actually seen and used water systems that run completely on solar.
It was in the middle of that conversation that we both discovered that a simple solar power system could power our printer, laptops and fans and still light up our entire suite. And yes, we now print on solar.
I have considered with a childlike awe how the converter – something quite small and light – takes a mere 12 volts from the box and gives out a whopping 220 volts! And, of course, it was as usual MiC – Made in China. Ours is not the only office that uses solar on our floor. In fact, judging by the size of their panels, the office beside us is on a much larger system. See, folks, a sensible Nigeria is our collective responsibility. And it is worth every effort we can muster to get our government to get serious about diversification. It has become more critically urgent to dismantle those bureaucracies that advance nothing but graft and woes.
Oshaloto Tade writes from Kogi State
