We'll boost power generation coal-FG

ABUJA—Federal government, yesterday, said it was planning to generate more power from coal to end the perennial power outage in the country. The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, disclosed this while flagging-off a 2-week Hands-On training for rural youths and women potters on design, fabrication and installation of locally-made metal and clay-based energy-efficient (Eco-Friendly) in Bwari area Council of the FCT. File Photo The training was organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria, ECN, and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in collaboration with the Social Development Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA. The minister said the time had come for ECN to ensure that Nigeria played its roles and utilised efficiently renewable energy, saying the contribution of renewable energy mix in the country must improve. He also charged ECN to conduct more research to know how to use coal to generate power, because the nation‘s energy needs were very important. Dr. Onu emphasised that the country needed to be industrialised, Nigeria could no longer continue to be a consumer nation, hence, the reasons its economy must be diversified. He said:   “We need to produce and we cannot continue to depend on the few sources of energy. Energy Commission of Nigeria will play a very important role to make sure that as a nation, we are able to meet our energy requirement that will be enough. I know the Energy Commission of Nigeria will take it seriously and how best they can help us”. Onu reaffirmed the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to move Nigerians out of poverty, saying the APC administration believed Nigerians were in a position to do things that would be friendly to the  environment. In his own speech, the UNDP representative, Dr. Lamin Beyai, said the main objective of the programme was to assist and empower the rural communities. In his welcome address, the acting Secretary, Social Development of the FCTA, Mrs. Erene Elegbede, whose message was delivered by the Director, Department of Arts and Culture, Mr. Danjuma Kuyembo, said the programme would improve the standard of living of the participants.