Let’s focus on renewable energy

SIR: In 2008, I had the rare privilege of visiting the Warri refinery in Delta State. What I saw stunned me, particularly as several administrations before this one had often grappled with issues related to power, energy and how this affects our life as a nation.

I was also very surprised that for several years, millions of naira being allocated for turn-around maintenance (TAM) of the refineries was money being used to refurbish a magnificent edifice of what can be termed scrap metal.

I was also to find out that these refineries were indeed sold, but because of the affection that our people have for those old pieces of metal, that sale was reversed. Yearly, those big sums of money are still being spent on turn-around maintenance even though we import fuel and pay subsidies to those who import refined fuel.

I don’t think it makes sense to continue to dole money to a group of faceless people for the TAM of refineries that have not turned around our economic fortunes. What Nigeria should instead focus on is investing very massively in the area of renewable energy, and this is simply because many countries today are discovering that cheap energy can be harvested from a rich variety of sources and these sources – the sun, water, wind, and biomass are in abundance in Nigeria.

Apart from that, our greatest customers like the United States have stopped buying oil from us and all of this is within the context of the waning influence of the Oil Producing and Exporting countries (OPEC) in regulating the global production, import and export of oil.

Already, the focus of the incoming administration seems to be on reducing the pump price of fuel. It should not have. It should be thinking of downsizing and creating a ministry for renewable energy development.

• Bob Etemiku, Benin City.