An American-based Nigerian investor in renewable energy, Mr. Joshua Okorie, has said that renewable energy derivable from solar, wind and nuclear power is what Nigeria needs to get out of the conundrum of public power supply.
Mr. Okorie, who is the chief executive officer of Kodion Energy (Kodion Consulting) with bases in Kansas City, Missouri, Nigeria, and China, said the current dependence on fossil fuel and thermal stations to generate electricity is dirty and not sustainable.
Okorie, who spoke during an online interaction with energy editors on Friday, said wind, solar and nuclear energy is not only renewable and cost effective, but it is environmentally friendly.
He said Kodion intends to invest in the generation of off-grid electricity in Nigeria that will not only provide sustainable electricity but will also provide hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
“But our impact extends beyond electricity. By creating over 100 direct and 150 indirect jobs per megawatt of solar power, we will not just be powering cities but also empowering communities.”
He said to resolve Nigeria’s electricity debacle, the current national grid system has to be dismantled because it is not only defective but it is unsustainable.
The Kodion CEO, who said his firm has built some of the biggest transformers in the United States, said they are already setting up business in Nigeria to work with states and local governments to provide renewable energy to cities and clusters. He disclosed that they already have a base in Umuahia, Abia State. “We have built transformers up to 250KVA. Right now we are building a 25 and 50KV to power in Umuahia. Our office is in Umuahia, we don’t have a factory yet. We need a factory in Enugu to power the things that we need to build our transformers,” he said, disclosing that the transformers built in Umuahia have been shipped to the US for testing.
Okorie commended the 2023 Electricity Act, which debottlenecked the power sector and made it possible for states and local governments to generate and distribute electricity.
“The government should be willing to bring home the companies that have solutions. But the average man knows nobody. We need to invite the government to work with us,” he said.
He sought the deployment of smart meters and the eradication of energy theft for a sustainable electricity market in the country.
He also said Kodion’s investment in local fabrication and skill development will ensure that its projects will deliver electricity and drive economic growth and development, adding that its technology is not just about power, but also about sustainability.
He said with renewable energy, carbon emissions will reduce, climate change mitigated and there will be a greener and cleaner future.
