The Minister for Science and Technology Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre has said that to solve the present epileptic power supply in the country, Nigeria must diversify its energy sources and fully deregulate the power sector for effective private sector participation.
According to her, Nigeria should diversify to other sources like biofuel, wind energy, solar and nuclear energy which Nigeria has the resources to exploit.
She was speaking on the topic "power generation, the way forward to economic development" at the national electric power conference on "power generation, distribution, debt recovery and fraud prevention in Nigeria's electric power sector" held in Abuja Tuesday.
Mrs. Ekpiwhre who was represented by Dr. Afolabi Aremu also said that government would integrate the private sector into power generation into the country because government alone cannot provide enough funds for the sector.
She also advocated for a "frame work for encouraging electricity generation closer to demand centers, which implies deploying the use of solar energy."
Also, the radial transmission network should be converted into a robust grid with appropriate dispatch and control equipment for effective management she said.
According to her, distribution networks be increased and upgraded to support additional power generated.
Speaking to newsmen, the coordinator of the conference Mr. Godwin Akpan said it is an intervention to bring stakeholders together to forge a common front to solve the energy situation.
"Strategic issues are being discussed and strategies taken for the federal government to adopt," he said.
He added that Nigeria has all it takes to be the power giant of Africa. He decried the low turn out to the conference.
