The Sokoto government has appealed to the Federal Government to deploy resources and expertise to the state in bid to develop wind and other alternative energy sources.
Speaking when he hosted officials from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology as well as the Centre for Energy Research and Training, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said Nigeria’s desire to have sustainable and affordable electricity cannot be achieved without diversification of the country’s energy sources.
“In Sokoto, the potential to generate electricity from hydro, carbon and solar sources are high. But I am very particular about wind energy because it has not been explored in the past. All that is needed is a political will and organizational capacity and capability to bring all stakeholders together and produce result,” Tambuwal said, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Malam Imam Imam in Sokoto Wednesday.
The Governor further emphasized the importance of alternative energy and observed that the government is willing to harness all sources of energy available so as to meet up with energy needs of the state.
According to him, during his time as Speaker of the House of Representatives (2011 to 2015), efforts were made to pass legislations that would have removed power supply from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List to allow states and LGs to generate power and distribute as they deem fit.
“But that effort is yet to see the light of the day even though the process is still on. I am of the opinion that allowing States and LGAs to generate, transmit and distribute electricity will ensure accelerated development of the sector and ensure end to erratic power supply in the country,” Tambuwal added.
He said the Centre for Energy Research and Training, situated at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, was established in 1982 and it is one of the 17 agencies and research centers under the supervision of the science and technology ministry.
He said Sokoto state had benefitted from some of the work the center did in the past, and urged the Federal Government to fully fund its activities and ensure its sustenance.