… As FG reiterates commitment to electrify 5m homes, via Renewable energy***
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment towards sustaining the tempo of funding and infrastructural facilities to ensure conducive learning environment at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Osinbajo made the pledge in a message to the 31st Convocation Ceremony of NDA Course 67 Regular Cadets, postgraduate students and award of honourary degrees, in Kaduna on Thursday.
The Vice President was represented by Defence Minister, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi.
Osinbajo explained that as the foremost military university in sub-saharan Africa, government would spare no effort to sustain the development of the Academy.
“As a nation, Nigeria has always defied the odds.
“Rather than falter or lose hope, we should draw inspiration from the brighter chapters of our history and in a determined spirit engage the reservoir of our resourcefulness, creativity, sense of sacrifice and national commitment.
“Which we as a people can accumulate only from institutions like the Nigerian Defence Academy.
“Since we came on board in this administration, we have had our share of social upheavals, political instability, religious intolerance and economic hardship.
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“These are challenges which most nations face.
“We have invested vital resources in confronting our national problems, and we will continue to do so across all facets of our economy and polity.
“As part of our commitment to this great institution, we shall sustain the tempo of funding and infrastructural facilities to ensure a conducive learning environment,” Osinbajo said.
He noted that the administration has embarked on vibrant educational campaign and pursuing policy initiatives that will create awareness, reduce illiteracy and improve livelihood in the society.
He pointed out that the federal government has been striving to banish child labour, domestic violence, and enforce free and compulsory education for children up to junior secondary school level.
He urged the NDA to accord priority to modern disciplines that boarder on sound military thought and philosophy relevant to contemporary need rather than curriculum requiring argumentative judgements and mere regurgitation of facts hypothesis and theories.
Earlier, Commandant of the Academy, Maj.-Gen Ibrahim Yusuf said the Academy has made its mark as the foremost military university in sub-saharan Africa through its contribution to human development in military and academic circles.
The Commandant urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of NDA wherever they find themselves.
The newsmen report that total of 2,805 graduands comprising 249 cadets and 2,556 postgraduate students participated in the convocation ceremony.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to deserving cadets and postgraduate students.
Foremost industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote was presented with honorary Doctorate degree in Management Science, while late Ahmed Joda and former Chief of Army Staff, late Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru received posthumous doctorate degrees in Management Science and Military Science, respectively.
In another development, the Federal Government says it has commissioned several sites in the six geopolitical zones of the country toward actualising its promise of electrifying five millions homes with solar energy by 2023.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, said this while declaring open this year’s Seplat Energy Summit in Abuja.
Osinbajo who was represented by the Minister of State for Environment, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, said the effort was part of the country’s direct energy compact.
He said the project, expected to affect 25 million people, would also create 250,000 jobs.
“The implementation of this job is underway with several sites commissioned and being executed by the private sector and support from government,” Osinbajo said.
He noted that the Federal Government was eager to follow to a logical conclusion its national energy system and policy via renewables, to ensure a cleaner source of energy for Nigerians.
“Over the next decade, every aspect of national energy system is expected to be affected by the climate and energy policy.
“However, the transition needs to speed up significantly its scope to achieve SDG 7 in line with the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change but while at the sametime achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
“Nigeria has developed its energy transition plan which has three core objectives of achieving universal access to energy by 2030, zero emissions by 2050 and industrialisation to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.
“While this plan has given us a roadmap with which we can accelerate our transition, it has also highlighted the skill of effort required.
“Transformation of the energy sector offers ample opportunity for sustainable economic development, social inclusion, energy security, improved health, job creation and other societal benefits, if achieved in just manner.
“Renewables will also create new jobs and spur new industries and can contribute to sustainable urban development,” Osinbajo said.
He said, to achieve all these, policies supporting enabling deployment and integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency must go hand in hand with a broader set of policies.
Osinbajo said these policies must ensure that industrial and other economic capabilities were aligned with the COVID-19 recovery and other environmental objectives.
Chairman of Seplat Energy, Mr Ambrosie Orjiakor, noted that the company had started increasing production for LPG to replace dirty sources of energy for cleaner environment.
“Our real message for energy transition is the fact that there is a shift from the energy mix that the world requires; that the environment of Nigeria and Africa require.
“So, it means that as the entire globe is speaking to the action plan on climate, there is a consensus of opinion that disasters are as a result of human activities in the planet.
“But it has been identified that carbon dioxide emissions are related gases, particularly the greenhouse gasses are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer and causing excessive global warming.
“Addressing this problem is why you hear zero emission, carbon neutrality and zero forsil fuel.
“At Seplat, our purpose is to deliver renewable energy solution to the society; that is why we exist. Our vision is transformation of life through energy,” Orjiakor said.
The Group Managing Director, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Malam Mele Kyari, said the corporation would continue to take advantage of the time to transform the country’s energy sector.
“We are taking advantage of the time as it has been said that even in 50 years time, we will still have up to 100 million barrels, as we are not out of the oil age.
“We should look for transition that would work for everybody in this part of the world; we are not giving up on gas utilisation, especially the LPG,” Kyari said.
Mr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, NCDMB, said the organisation had already keyed into the energy transition instructions and had been acting as catalysts, and also involved in investments that projected gas.
