Newton Ovie, Government Secretary of the Nigerian Sector Abilities Council for Agriculture (SSC4A), has emphasised the important position of renewable power in reworking Nigeria’s agricultural sector, notably for rural farmers.
In an unique interview with Nairametrics, Ovie highlighted how sustainable power options might remove post-harvest losses, guarantee year-round farming, and enhance meals safety throughout the nation.
In response to him, “Renewable power can scale back power prices, guarantee year-round farming, and at last remove post-harvest losses. As soon as that is achieved, we could be assured of a lift in meals manufacturing that’s mirrored throughout the value-chain until it will get to the ultimate client.”
Nairametrics: Are you able to present an outline of the present power panorama in Nigeria’s rural areas, notably because it pertains to agriculture?
Ovie: Nigeria’s rural power panorama is closely reliant on native and environmentally unfriendly technique of power, corresponding to firewood and charcoal, with restricted entry to electrical energy.
Most rural farmers nonetheless depend upon small petrol and diesel mills to energy their irrigation techniques (i.e. the place irrigation exists), processing tools, and storage amenities.
The Nationwide grid is now not balanced; it barely reaches these areas, and even when it does, energy provide is very unreliable. This lack of steady electrical energy considerably impacts productiveness, post-harvest storage, and processing within the agricultural sector.
Let’s take, for example, some locations in Kano and Jigawa, the place rice milling is a significant {economic} exercise; many processors spend a considerable portion of their earnings on diesel to run their mills.
For those who additionally test some communities in Benue state, tomato farmers battle with post-harvest losses as a result of a scarcity of chilly storage powered by dependable electrical energy.
The excessive value of gas additional reduces farmers’ revenue margins, making agricultural actions costlier and fewer environment friendly.
Nairametrics: What position does renewable power play within the agricultural sector, and the way does it align with the objectives of the Sector Abilities Council for Agriculture (SSC4A)?
Ovie: Renewable power has a important position to play in bettering agricultural productiveness and decreasing post-harvest losses in Nigeria. That is the rationale I’ve been canvassing for the inclusion of agriculture within the Vitality Transition Plan. It’s a misnomer to solely choose Energy, Cooking, Transport, Trade, and Oil and Fuel for the ETP and neglect agriculture, which, as a single sector, contributes the best to the GDP of Nigeria and employs about 70% of labour.
Now, let’s take for example, solar-powered irrigation – it supplies farmers with an economical and sustainable method to entry water for year-round farming, notably in dry areas just like the North. Are you aware what influence this may have on combating meals insecurity?
How about biogas expertise, which might flip agricultural waste into power for processing actions, decreasing reliance on costly and polluting fossil fuels?
For the Sector Talent Council for Agriculture (SSC4A), which is targeted on enhancing ability improvement and workforce capability in agriculture, renewable power aligns with its aim of equipping farmers and agribusinesses with the mandatory information and instruments to enhance effectivity.
We consider that once we combine renewable power into agricultural coaching packages, we can assist farmers scale back prices and enhance productiveness sustainably.
Nairametrics: How would you describe the extent of consciousness and adoption of renewable power applied sciences amongst rural farmers and agribusinesses in Nigeria?
Ovie: Nicely, you possibly can say consciousness of renewable power is rising, however to be very frank, the adoption stays low. I feel it may be attributed to a number of implementation challenges. Many farmers have heard about photo voltaic irrigation, chilly storage, and biogas, however solely a small proportion have been in a position to implement these applied sciences.
In locations like Nasarawa, the Kiguna neighborhood has benefited from a photo voltaic minigrid-powered chilly room that aids fishers and merchants in decreasing post-harvest losses and rising earnings; Ecotutu, a Nigerian cleantech firm, additionally launched a solar-powered dual-purpose 3.75-ton capability chilly room in Sabongida market, Nasarawa State, to deal with post-harvest losses. Kaduna, however, has had ColdHubs, with help from Heifer Worldwide, commissioning a 100-ton solar-powered chilly room for fruit and vegetable storage and preservation within the Dan Magaji Fruit and Vegetable Market and Aggregation Centre, Zaria.
These are just a few remoted examples; nonetheless, widespread adoption remains to be hindered by value and lack of technical information.
Most farmers are sometimes skeptical concerning the effectivity and sturdiness of renewable power options, partly as a result of poor sensitization and restricted profitable case research inside their communities. I can even say that for many farmers, it’s higher the satan you understand than the angel you don’t, as many nonetheless depend on conventional power sources as a result of they’re accustomed to them, regardless of the long-term {economic} burden they impose.
Nairametrics: What are the main challenges hindering the adoption of renewable power options in Nigeria’s rural agricultural communities?
Ovie: As I discussed earlier, the first challenges embody excessive preliminary prices, lack of financing choices, insufficient technical experience, and restricted infrastructure. Many rural farmers function on skinny revenue margins and can’t afford the upfront funding required for solar-powered irrigation or biogas digesters. Think about a smallholder farmer spending round 1 million Naira at a minimal to put in photo voltaic panels on his farm. Ordinarily, if the farmer had entry to loans or grants, it could have been potential, however for renewable power initiatives in agriculture, funding is scarce, making it tough for smallholder farmers to make the change.
One other challenge is upkeep—many photo voltaic techniques put in in rural areas have failed as a result of poor set up and a scarcity of educated technicians to service them. It’s also possible to add vandalism or theft of photo voltaic panels, the place it’s put in. Lastly, weak authorities insurance policies and inconsistent incentives discourage non-public sector funding in rural renewable power initiatives.
Nairametrics: How do points like funding, infrastructure, and technical experience have an effect on the implementation of renewable power initiatives in rural areas?
Ovie: Funding is the largest barrier. I can say it’s the ‘koko’ of the matter. Many farmers and agribusinesses can’t afford the preliminary value of establishing renewable power techniques, and {financial} establishments are sometimes unwilling to supply loans as a result of perceived dangers. This impacts agribusinesses rather a lot, and actually, it is likely one of the explanation why we now have the issue of mechanization in Nigeria.
Let me digress a bit. Do you know that Nigeria has round 70 million hectares of land accessible for farming, and solely 5,000 tractors are purposeful within the nation? Do you assume agribusinesses don’t wish to use tractors? They do, however funding for pre-upstream actions, which incorporates renewable power, is taken into account dangerous by financiers.
It is able to roll out, and a few agribusinesses, cooperatives, and farmers will key in particularly for this wet season. Let me additionally add that poor highway networks and a scarcity of expert labor additional hinder the deployment of renewable power. In instances the place these initiatives are carried out, the dearth of technical experience for correct upkeep results in frequent breakdowns, discouraging additional funding. I posit that there’s a want for a holistic view to give you adaptable options that tick all of the packing containers.
It is able to roll out, and a few agribusinesses, cooperatives, and farmers will key in particularly for this wet season. Let me additionally add that poor highway networks and a scarcity of expert labor additional hinder the deployment of renewable power. In instances the place these initiatives are carried out, the dearth of technical experience for correct upkeep results in frequent breakdowns, discouraging additional funding. I posit that there’s a want for a holistic view to give you adaptable options that tick all of the packing containers.
Nairametrics: What are the potential {economic} and environmental advantages of adopting renewable power in Nigeria’s agricultural sector?
