I have been following the issues in electricity in Nigeria for the last couple weeks and it truly is a tragic situation. For the last 30 years, Nigerians have been struggling to secure even a few hours of electricity a day-- not nearly enough to run a successful business, or even any sort of business. Currently the population of Nigeria, about 150 million, uses about the same amount of electricity that is used in a small area surrounding a tokyo airport (http://www.economist.com/node/17312103). Many blame the electricity problems on corruption in the country or the rapid changes of power and parties that don't allow for any plan to be implemented.
The most recent news regarding electricity in Nigeria is the announcement made by the minister of power, Professor Bart Nnaji that the tariffs for energy will go up substantially by April 1, 2012. In a country that has very little access to electricity as it is, the fact that it is also extremely expensive only worsens the situation. Here we encounter the environmental justice aspect of the issue. Since many Nigerians do not have access to reliable energy, they turn to the use of generators to power their businesses and home. This is survival--they have no other option. The extensive use of these generations have led to a series of hazards to the earth and to Nigerians: carbon monoxide air pollution and noise pollution (which can cause hearing impairment, cardiovascular effects and extreme stress). I have provided a video that helps demonstrate the noise and emissions that come from one of these generators in Nigeria.
Not only is the lack of electricity causing health and pollution problems, but it also certainly inhibits the growth of any sort of small business in the country. No company can flourish independently and help to support the town that it resides in if it is unable to run properly. The problem simply further pushes Nigerians into poverty and dependence. I wonder what would happen if the government began pushing for energy technologies that would work with the environment like solar power for example. It is fairly inexpensive and certainly more reliable than a sputtering generator or electricity that only works for 2 hours in the day. It seems to be a perfectly logical solution. Perhaps then, there is an underlying reason for keeping Nigerians "in the dark."Enriching an impoverished population would not necessarily bring monetary wealth to the big business or electricity corporations in the country... something interesting to think about.
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