Sustainable Energy Development as a Tool for Alleviating Poverty in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper brings into forefront the epileptic state of energy sector of the national economy and how it has succeeded in sustaining poverty among the teeming population. The paper shows that direct relationship exists between the state of energy supply and the nation’s economic development. The nation energy system has only being able to supply less than 1500MW of electricity representing just a figure above 20 percent of the country’s required 6500MW domestic demand. The focus of the government over the years has being that of direct investment on poverty alleviation, little they realized that the state of energy supply in the country perpetually keeps Nigerians in penury and out of global touch. The paper therefore examines the state of power supply in the country and its consequential effects on poverty scorecards of Nigerians. The research was mostly desktop relying largely on documented data. Major finding was that long before the season of global economic recession, as far back as 19992, greater proportion of Nigerians live on a paltry sum of less than $1 per day. This has being visible in their housing condition, nutritional intake and their environmental quality, implying that their state of abject poverty has negatively affect city development and management. One major factor responsible for this has being the poor state of our infrastructure and utilities one of which is electricity. Major bane of this sector as revealed by this paper include; inadequacy of generation and distribution, inadequacy of metering and pricing system, poor state of maintenance policy, poor funding of the sector, inadequate monitoring of fund appropriated to the sector, statutory handicapped, absence of inter- organizational co-operation among others. Privatization of the sector, debundling of the sector’s agency, statutory review of the constitutional provisions on energy generation and distribution, sectoral integration and immediate convocation of energy summit are some of the recommendations submitted.

Keywords: poverty, sustainable development and sustainable energy