February 19, 2025 • 26 mins
Can Nigeria Reverse Its Carbon Footprint? Fossil fuels power our economy, but at what cost? Engr. Chibueze Ekeh, CEO of CEESOLAR Energy Limited, joins Francis Jakpor, ANIPR to discuss Nigeria’s clean #energytransition and the road to net zero by 2060.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
As the world grapples with climate change, the push for
cleaner energy has never been more urgent. Nigeria is heavily
reliant and for soft works and faces rise and pollution
levels and environmental jugradation.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
But a shift is possible.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
With innovative solutions and a commitments to decabonization, the country
can retrace its carbon footprints towards a sustainable energy future.
The question is how do we make this transition and
what role can businesses and individuals plain driving change?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Hi, I'm fancy Jacko, your host on today's as Seade
of any AGTIV. Now, as Nigeria strives to achieve nagier
missions by twenty sixteen, now is the time to have
in depth conversations around the carbonization. Now the carbonization is
not just on a related subject to affects every one
of us, because it Nigeria feels to retrace the cable
footprints and entire value taine will be affected, our lively
(00:57):
will be affected and every sector that it can on
renewables for survival who were affected. So this is a
very very pre school issue and mainly studio to discuss
this subject is a perfector expert is mister t. Busy
Ikey and the CEO of Sisola. We Enable Energy Company
and Sisola is in the vanguard of retracing our draft
(01:18):
cobble footprints through various products that they have. The sector
welcome is at all. Right, So let's just tak up
with this discussion with the carbonization because most people don't
know why we are advocates for clean energy. So if
we want to retrace our draft cable footprints, why is
the carbonization so important?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
The carbonization is so important in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know, imagine a country where.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
We're dealing with you know, you know, issues like flooding
in the south, we're dealing with issues like flooding. Even
in the north, like in Bonding States, we have issues
where farmers can't really go to farm again because apart
from security issues, there's also the climate changing path right
because you don't get rain expected, so climate change is real.
(02:03):
And you know, you know, the carbonization is important because
we are putting so much carbon in the atmosphere. It's
affecting your zone layer and it's also affecting our our
ability to live with the environment.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And the environment that we have is what we have.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
If we cannot maintain it, it will not be there
to sustain us. You and I breed in oxygen, we
breed out carbon dioxide, you know, but then the trees
breeding carbon dioxide and breed out oxygen. So imagine the
station where we're cutting trees abruptly. We're not managing our ecosystem. Definitely,
there's an imbalance, and that affects our economy.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Now, so I would say we are too far gone,
like green has aerfimation and everything. We've had our conversation
for years, so it's really even possible to rule back
the damage done.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Definitely, you know, some people would say, you know, for example,
if you have malaria, you can go and take the
malaments and to address it, right, so there's more like
a corrective action. You could also have some measures where
you're you're doing something to avoid having malaria, maybe your
business exercise, or you're ensuring that you don't go to
areas where there's you know, mosquito gathering.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Right.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
The same thing happens in terms of climate change, So
you have climate mitigation, which is more on the corrective side.
We're trying to react to the impact of climate change,
and then you also have climate adaptation.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
We're trying to be a bit more proactive.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
We're trying to say, how can we ensure that in
order to not have you know, flowed happens somewhere, let's
go build some infrastructure that addresses it. But if we're
talking about mitigation, now we really do that climate change
is already happening, and we're trying to say, for example.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
How can we use you know, neighbor energy.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Solutions like solar to address and mitigate the impact of
climate change, such that when you install maybe solar in
a community or for a business or in a home,
there is an equivalent number of trees that you have
indirectly planted because you know, you have avoid the need
for on clean energy from patrol and diesel sources because
(04:05):
you now have a clean energy source. So because of that,
there's an amount of terms of COEO two that you
have abitted, you have reduced, you have mitigated, and because
of that, we are trying to see how we can
get to you know, a neutral position and address climate change.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Another important now it keys into your vision as the company.
You are the CEO of Cisolar, So now your vision
is to retreat and you have cable footprints a little
bit about that and what experiences mean.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I would say, you know, most of us don't even
know what our carbon footprint is, right, most of us
don't even know that from our activities, what is our
economic activities or environmental activities or even social activities, we
are you know, affecting the environment. Right, So we're just
in a carbon footprints simply means you know, going to
places and make an impact. What is in communities, whether
(04:53):
is the institutions, where I is even in homes, right
and saying this is where you are today and this
is how we can help PEW to retrace your steps
so that you can actually understand your impact on the
environment and what you need to do so that nature
can achieve our twenty sixty carbon neutrality.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Go.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So what as implement is for us, we do that
by using your neighbor energy like solar in ensuring that businesses,
communities and the likes are aware that there's an impact
of the activities, and by installing solar in their communities
or in their schools or anywhere, you're actually able to
be at the forefront of addressing your own carbon footprint.
(05:34):
Because definitely there is something that you are doing because.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
You're running a generator, you're you know they are.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
They are the firms you typically see those are going
to those only are those affecting the environment. So we
are the forefront of really addressing that as an organization.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Thank you very much that it's quite loudable to know that.
Besides the profit court obviously your indivisions of making profit,
but you are also doing some kind of cencilization to
make people aware.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Now what what are doing?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
You see, we don't want to be frontal about rolling
back a couple of footprints. What are dangerous if we
maintain this? It was cool like we don't change anything
and we just remain like this.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Dangers are immense. Dangers are immense.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Africa today stands to lose a lot but also gain
a lot if we're actually plug into the energy transition.
And what is the energy transition. It's basically saying we
need to move away from the old technologies, the typical
traditional ways of doing things right because we've seen the
impact on the environment and we need to look forward
(06:36):
in a world today. But it's talking about official intelligence,
machine learning, Internet of things.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Nigeria has come.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Up age in twenty twenty five to say that you
know what we need to be on the global stage
to make an impact and what that implement is in
order for us to achieve that. It's not just by
the words, also by the actions. So the good thing
is that as a country, Nigeria was part of the
Mission three hundred that happened in Tanzania. I was at
that event and a lot of our stakeholders were there.
(07:02):
And Joy has committed to an energy compact, which simply
mean that we have signed up to say, look, we
are going to do what it takes to address carbon
emission and what are some of those things. Some of
those things are, for example, saying that we need energy
is going to be half of the energy mix in
the country. So it's a very very daring proposition. But
(07:23):
it's not impossible. We just need to come back home,
decomposite to the little actions we all need to do
on the public side, on the private side, and then
figure out how to do it together.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
You mentioned the government's part of the government, because if
we are to make the sustainable government as a clerol
to play, so from your perspective as a player in
the sect, so what do you feel can be done
on the policy level to aitutionalize this compact, that's what
you're saying.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I think one thing I've learned is able to achieve
reasonable change most times you need to think differently, I
need to act differently. So what that means is we
need to be open to new things. Right, the world
is moving on. We need to be part of this
world is moving on. And I think that already in Nigeria,
the government has taken very very bod steps in the
(08:09):
sense that we've been able to leverage some support from
the World Bank an African Development Bank to ensure that
millions of Nigerians are impacted because you'll be surprised to
know that about half of the country live in darkness
and you know, with lack of energy access you can
be productive. People can't study at night in rural communities,
(08:31):
women can't give bread safely at night. You even struggle
to you know, safely store vaccines for immunization.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
So the government is doing a lot in the in.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
The health space, in the education space by supporting enabled
energies service companies like Cicola and the others to say,
you know what if you go to some areas and
you know, you provide power in communities that haven't had
electricity before, they've not had any pose in those communities.
We would come and support you with some sort of
grant to encour you to go and do more. So
(09:02):
that is already what has happened in the past few years.
And right now we are at take position where there
is going to be an increase in that impact because
a lot of stakeholders have come together on Mission three
hundred to say, you know what, how do we ensure.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That our actions are all aligned.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
To ensure that out of these six hundred million Africas
that lack access to electricity, at least half of them,
which is still on a million people can be electrified
by the year twenty thirty. And like you and I know,
Nigeria is the giant of Africa. We have the most
to gain and we have the most to lose and
we basically are in large share of that population. So
there's going to be a lot of impact, especially for Nigeria.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's that's quite it's quite gratifying to know now there's
a lot of work in it. For me, this scenario
is the working it from the situation now with the
thing want to change mindset and we're towards adoption of
thin energy, people are going to ask how does it
affect them? From it tis what's the impact of the
cambody missions on public health? And now does aff businesses
(10:01):
in terms of being more profitable if they adopt it? Well,
I would speak to that.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So you know, sometimes there's some cities you go.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
To Nigeria our not mentioned names, but once you get
out of the airport, you just feel the a's different,
the air is not so comfortable. That is already the
impact of carbon emission. When you think from a public
health perspective, right not being able to break well, you know,
you have issues with respiratory systems, not being able to
have clean water. You know, carbon you know, climate change
(10:31):
affects a whole lot in our ecosystem. But then what
is good is that you know, like I mentioned earlier on,
if you're not even able to stove vacines properly, imagine
giving vaccines that are are not.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
In the right states. You're already going to affect the
little baby.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
So you know, carbon emission, climate change and all of
them are really really affecting us. You know, if you
think back in recent years for example here and we say,
oh wow, February is hot.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, temperature is really hot.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Just a little increase in our temperature affects our health,
affects our set of mind, affects our productivity. So we
really have a lot to do to retrace our carboard
footprint to ensure that at least we are neutral in
terms of how we impact the environment. And it's not
a one individual, then it's not a one government. And
(11:20):
it's something that the whole world has to come together
to first identify as a problem and then take action
on it. And that's why you have the Conference of Parties,
the cop that happens annually and you have a lot
of interest now to say, look, climate change is a
major problem.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
We all need to put hands together to address.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Thank you credit credit credit. We need to this question
in terms of profitabilities and businesses. They might say the
switch might increase the running costs and then for the
private and we're ready question before, but how do we
mitigate the.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Cost the cost body on consumers? You want to make
you feel.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
So the good thing is that the government has really
understood this problem and they are the forefront of addressing it.
The Raw Education Agency of Nigeria, the ABYA has been
able to coordinate a lot of funding support from the
World Bank and AfD and AfDB and even the un
right for this purpose. So what so, what that has
done is that for companies like us who have to
(12:22):
support people to transition, the burden most times of the
upfront cost is something that with their support, it is alleviated.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So we make it so it makes it easier.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
For Nigeria to be able to pay something that is
even cheaper than what they will have spent on patrol
or on diesel, and then that way they're able to
really transition to clean our sources that are more reliable
and more sustainable.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Imagine when you.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Know your cost of power, you know, is very very
high compared to other people in Africa.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Even while you're producing, you can't really export.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
But if you can bring down the cost, it helps
the economy because we can then leverage that advantage to
be able to start thinking of not just consuming what
we produce, but even exporting what we produce. And for
this economy, we are really in need of that so
that we can actually leverage the opportunity we have to
grow the economy.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Very insightful, very insightful, very insightful.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Now I've had the question before when we join a
previous interview, now renewables. When people mentioned reneables, they all
come to mind is solar? What about complimenting with wind
and were hydro power? We have those options mean living solar.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
So you'll be surprised to I mean, we have the
large hydros right to have the kind g we have
this Hiroro.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Those are renighboring energy surcess.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
So currently about twenty percent of the energy that is
supplying the national grid, it's coming from a neighbor energy
sources like the large hydros. Yes, we have gas as well,
which is a transition feel but how do we ensure
that If we're going to have fifty percent of our
energy from real from renewable sources, that means we need
a whole lot more nable sources.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
So that means that in different parts.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Of the country, we need to ask ourselves what weneable
energy sources are in abundance. In the north, there's a
lot of solar imagination, there's a lot of you know, sunlight.
In similar parts of the country, you have you know,
small hydros. You have you know small hydros that can
give you twenty Megawa, megawat here and there right, and
then you know, in terms of wind, there's a lot
of wind potential, especially in Castina. So how do we
(14:27):
harness all these you know, neighbor energy sources to ensure
that we transition to sources that are there have less
impact in terms of carbon emission in the environment, and
then allows us to really participate in this energy transition.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So in terms of your partner the area for several
projects are currently developing solar inegrews Inawan Canoe. Can you
speak to that and the impact that you feel the
project love on the sad communities in those areas?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Great, So the area has really done a lot and
supporting a lot of players like us. We're working with
Aria through a program called the African Minigrid Program.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It's a program funded.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
By the u N and Global Energy Fund, and Rocky
Mountain is also supporting that. But the idea here is
to really, like I had said, you know, scale up
the work that's already been done. And how we're doing
that is by going to two communities. It's not just
us there, but a few other people like us doing
the same thing across the country. To go to these
(15:30):
communities and say how can we enable energy coming as
a catalyst for development. So you and I you know that,
for example, if you have power, there's a lot you
can do. We're having this question because you know, we're
able to speak to each other in you know, a
litt up environment. If you think of rural communities, they
are farmers who today they are farming, but you know
they're they're they're not able to get their produce to
(15:51):
the markets because on the one hand, maybe they're struggling
with transportation.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
So we neighbor energy can come in to ensure that.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
For example, with the solar power you have in those communities,
you can power electric vehicles to take produce from those
farms to where they can be processed.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Now, when it gets where you're processing.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Those produces, you can also leverage you know, clean energy
technology to ensure that you have energy efficient processing machines
for processing garry, for processing parmoil, and then you can
package those and still leverage electric vehicles to take them
to the market or to take them to international markets.
So eneble energy comes in from a productivity angle to
support to your ow economies. But that's just even on
(16:31):
the economic side, what about on the social side. These
communities are places where people because of darkness at nights,
they mostly go into their houses. But with the lights
that comes in, people can meet each other. Communities can
actually convene at night. Sometimes there see children, you know,
being able to play at night after they finished studying
or before they study. So it helps the social environment
in communities. It carries the ut along, it carries the
(16:53):
women along, it carries the elderly along. And then even
on the environmental side, right, you go to this community,
most times the use firewood to cook, but you have
cleanar technologies like clan cooking. So we need books coming
in many ways to ensure that if we can from
the fringes, from the porest of the people in the country,
from those who you know, degree doesn't even get to
(17:16):
because it's not you know, from a traditional point of view,
it's not cost effective to extend the grid there, we
can go and use distributed energy resources in those communities
to ensure that we can include them.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And I know that part of what NSG.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Is key on is to ensure that we have an
open economy that is sustainable and that there's inclusion. So
imagine how you can go into those communities include those
who we have included and you know in terms of
how we understand our GDP, and then our GDP can
really grow because they have the basic infrastructure, which is
electricity access, which is an enabler for so much more.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Absolutely, absolutely, and to questions first is then because body
on those local communities. Then second things these are people
who basically grew up with using for to feel photo fields.
Then push back from them in terms of some of
the divisions. You have to make them a brief enabling
the course Valua chain.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So I would say, you know, the secret source here
is really what we call community engagement. Community engagement means
you're identify a community that hasn't had a twesty before
you go to the community and you engage. Who is
the village head, Who is the community leader? How do
you speak to that person to say, look, we need
to work with you to include you know, all the
(18:30):
stakeholders in the community. Who is a woman leader because
women have a voice and the voice needs to be heard.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Who is the youth leader? Who is all thisest person
in the community.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Can we all sit down have a community park committee
that we can engage with you to you know, help
you understand that first of all, you don't need to
live in darkness, right because the government is doing a
lot to ensure the communities like you get out of
darkness and become part of you know, powering productivity in
the Nigeria and then helping them to understand that enable
energy technologist like minigreeds with people don't maybe are our
(19:01):
were of as something that can actually make the difference
and what are minigreed.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Minigreed are simply what we have in the.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Greater society where you have solar panels in batters and batteries,
you know, but most times now it's on the larger
scale and you'll be surprised that with these solutions, you know,
corp wood free community where you have that generating power
for the community, and then you have poses.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Within the power.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
You can have welders right to now be able to
reduce their cost of you know, welding in the community.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You can build more more homes in the community.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
You can have traders to process more, right, they can
take more to the market. You can be able to
store even you know, produce that would have been lost
due to post harvest losses like maybe fishes that have
been arrested, you can store them in code rooms because
you don't have electricity.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
In those communities.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
So we neighbor energy has a whole lot more impact
that it can actually give. And I think a lot
of awareness is being created. Maybe it's not at the
level that Nigerians, you know, we'll be able to appreciate
to really, you know, like you said, switch over and
adapt to. But I believe that a lot of efforts
has already been made and very soon that want will
be created on the wide scale.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Awesome. We certainly look forward to that.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Now it is bring me to social ability because typically
you find that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
There's little inclusion in that space.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Traditionally women don't don't want to get involved in energy
related you know, work and all of that. So now
the partner the area for you know, the same time
projects that I've seen you visit, you know, include several
universities take twenty women and train them, you know, about
ten carriers and can you tell us about that?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Okay, I would say, I wouldn't say women don't have
interested in energyated work. Maybe we would say typically, you know,
if you go to the most universities I look at
the classroom for engineering or for sciences, sometimes you have
more males than women and there's that disproportionate advantage there
for meals. So what do you right, AGENC has done
(21:00):
is to compute a program where they said, you know
what for us to catalyze change, how do we start
with maybe about seven universities expected across the country in
Yobe and Abia, in OCN State, even in the Nigerian
Defense Academy in Karuna, to say, let's take twenty females
in each of these seven institutions, so about one hundred
and forty females. Now I imagine taking these females and
(21:23):
imagine if these females, you know, impact about twenty other
females in the long term, there's already a repe effect, right,
But how do we take them train them on reneghbor
energy because already in the institutions there is the air
neighbor energy solutions that there are large solar plants being
built in those institutions to be able to ensure that
they are more sustainable. Right, and that is already where
(21:46):
the fugial leaders of Nigeria will be trained to understand
that solar can actually power their universities. So you have
the effect that in the next ten years the leaders
of the society and.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
People who can say yes.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
When I was in university, there was a time when
solar was actually a part my university. But how do
we ensure that women are made to, you know, understand
their role in society and be able to have interest.
So that was part of our project to ensure that
we supported the area in training about twenty female students
in seven universities across the country and there are already
(22:17):
plans to scale that up to ensure that in terms
of gender balancing and gender mainstreaming, more women are are
brought into this because sustainability definitely includes inclusion and women
have to be included.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Awful you do this and what are the criteria? Just
so people can know our viewers can do. What are
youqui for selection? And for these who study in dose
seven universities who we mentioned some of them like.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Oh, yes, today's there is university in Abercota. There's a
Feral University of Abuerocota. There's a Fairer University in Abiad.
There's Nigian Deferens Academy. There's even the University of our
Buja here we also had that impact felt innu as well,
and you're beasted. But in the criteria, really, I mean,
(23:01):
you really want to ensure that people that you're giving
this rare opportunity have an interest. So the methodology for
selecting the students is a very gross one where they
have to express their interest, explain why they have an interest,
explain what they would do with the knowledge they will gain.
And we have been able to ensure that the people
that we selected we are the best in terms of
aligning with division and being able to make sure that
(23:23):
in the future they can actually be catalyst for, you know,
enabling more women inclusion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,
which is this term where a lot of women are
lacking in the country.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
For some it's nice to know that ccilized really you know,
breaking barriers because like I mentioned earlier, most companies have
a profit seeing but then if you can compliment that
this sort of sensor initiedy our colleague, it's really laudable
for our carbon emission efforts, efforts to retreat carbon emissions.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So now by twenty sixty we.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Anticipate that the cabin foot people have the road back
in Egeria. It is ambitious? Is it possible? We just
we're just you know, hoping that something like that can happen.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Well, I would say nothing is impossible, and I hope
that most of us will be there to really see
that it is very possible. I think, like I said earlier,
on thinking different and I think differently. It is also
now very important because how do we walk backwards from
twenty sixty to say, if we have this vision by
twenty sixty, what are the necessary actions we need to
take today to get there? And if at all we
(24:31):
are getting off track, how do we ensure that we
get ourselves on track to achieve our vision.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
By twenty sixty.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
It is postulated that by the Sustainable Energy for All
that we need about one point ninety trillion US dollars
just to achieve that. So imagine this scale of investment
needed year in, year out, and mostly even at this
earlier stage to achieve that. But the great thing is
that with about seven and fifty million dollars from the
World Bank and all funding sources from after the Development Bank,
(25:02):
and what that would do to catalyze private sector investments
in the country. There is already a market that's growing
and I think the funding that will be needed to
close that gap.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
With something that we can actually achieve in our lifetime. Awesome.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Thank you very much. With speaking with Engineer Active, a
key is the CEO of Cisola. Like he has rightly mentioned,
we're all part of the effort to become an end
n IDEA is very very possible. Retarch with our mindset,
we have to change everything we've been doing to forssilized Nigeria.
We are not so far gone that we can a reface.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Our full step, but we just have to be willing to.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Change and it's a valuating issue. The governors to be involved.
As individuals, we all involved, businesses are involved. If we
all come together, we can achieve neat remissions by twenty sixty.
Thanks you very much and for yous, do forget to subscribe,
Like and shaped
As the world grapples with climate change, the push for
cleaner energy has never been more urgent. Nigeria is heavily
reliant and for soft works and faces rise and pollution
levels and environmental jugradation.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
But a shift is possible.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
With innovative solutions and a commitments to decabonization, the country
can retrace its carbon footprints towards a sustainable energy future.
The question is how do we make this transition and
what role can businesses and individuals plain driving change?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Hi, I'm fancy Jacko, your host on today's as Seade
of any AGTIV. Now, as Nigeria strives to achieve nagier
missions by twenty sixteen, now is the time to have
in depth conversations around the carbonization. Now the carbonization is
not just on a related subject to affects every one
of us, because it Nigeria feels to retrace the cable
footprints and entire value taine will be affected, our lively
(00:57):
will be affected and every sector that it can on
renewables for survival who were affected. So this is a
very very pre school issue and mainly studio to discuss
this subject is a perfector expert is mister t. Busy
Ikey and the CEO of Sisola. We Enable Energy Company
and Sisola is in the vanguard of retracing our draft
(01:18):
cobble footprints through various products that they have. The sector
welcome is at all. Right, So let's just tak up
with this discussion with the carbonization because most people don't
know why we are advocates for clean energy. So if
we want to retrace our draft cable footprints, why is
the carbonization so important?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
The carbonization is so important in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know, imagine a country where.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
We're dealing with you know, you know, issues like flooding
in the south, we're dealing with issues like flooding. Even
in the north, like in Bonding States, we have issues
where farmers can't really go to farm again because apart
from security issues, there's also the climate changing path right
because you don't get rain expected, so climate change is real.
(02:03):
And you know, you know, the carbonization is important because
we are putting so much carbon in the atmosphere. It's
affecting your zone layer and it's also affecting our our
ability to live with the environment.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And the environment that we have is what we have.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
If we cannot maintain it, it will not be there
to sustain us. You and I breed in oxygen, we
breed out carbon dioxide, you know, but then the trees
breeding carbon dioxide and breed out oxygen. So imagine the
station where we're cutting trees abruptly. We're not managing our ecosystem. Definitely,
there's an imbalance, and that affects our economy.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Now, so I would say we are too far gone,
like green has aerfimation and everything. We've had our conversation
for years, so it's really even possible to rule back
the damage done.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Definitely, you know, some people would say, you know, for example,
if you have malaria, you can go and take the
malaments and to address it, right, so there's more like
a corrective action. You could also have some measures where
you're you're doing something to avoid having malaria, maybe your
business exercise, or you're ensuring that you don't go to
areas where there's you know, mosquito gathering.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Right.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
The same thing happens in terms of climate change, So
you have climate mitigation, which is more on the corrective side.
We're trying to react to the impact of climate change,
and then you also have climate adaptation.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
We're trying to be a bit more proactive.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
We're trying to say, how can we ensure that in
order to not have you know, flowed happens somewhere, let's
go build some infrastructure that addresses it. But if we're
talking about mitigation, now we really do that climate change
is already happening, and we're trying to say, for example.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
How can we use you know, neighbor energy.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Solutions like solar to address and mitigate the impact of
climate change, such that when you install maybe solar in
a community or for a business or in a home,
there is an equivalent number of trees that you have
indirectly planted because you know, you have avoid the need
for on clean energy from patrol and diesel sources because
(04:05):
you now have a clean energy source. So because of that,
there's an amount of terms of COEO two that you
have abitted, you have reduced, you have mitigated, and because
of that, we are trying to see how we can
get to you know, a neutral position and address climate change.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Another important now it keys into your vision as the company.
You are the CEO of Cisolar, So now your vision
is to retreat and you have cable footprints a little
bit about that and what experiences mean.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
I would say, you know, most of us don't even
know what our carbon footprint is, right, most of us
don't even know that from our activities, what is our
economic activities or environmental activities or even social activities, we
are you know, affecting the environment. Right, So we're just
in a carbon footprints simply means you know, going to
places and make an impact. What is in communities, whether
(04:53):
is the institutions, where I is even in homes, right
and saying this is where you are today and this
is how we can help PEW to retrace your steps
so that you can actually understand your impact on the
environment and what you need to do so that nature
can achieve our twenty sixty carbon neutrality.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Go.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So what as implement is for us, we do that
by using your neighbor energy like solar in ensuring that businesses,
communities and the likes are aware that there's an impact
of the activities, and by installing solar in their communities
or in their schools or anywhere, you're actually able to
be at the forefront of addressing your own carbon footprint.
(05:34):
Because definitely there is something that you are doing because.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
You're running a generator, you're you know they are.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
They are the firms you typically see those are going
to those only are those affecting the environment. So we
are the forefront of really addressing that as an organization.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Thank you very much that it's quite loudable to know that.
Besides the profit court obviously your indivisions of making profit,
but you are also doing some kind of cencilization to
make people aware.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Now what what are doing?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
You see, we don't want to be frontal about rolling
back a couple of footprints. What are dangerous if we
maintain this? It was cool like we don't change anything
and we just remain like this.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Dangers are immense. Dangers are immense.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Africa today stands to lose a lot but also gain
a lot if we're actually plug into the energy transition.
And what is the energy transition. It's basically saying we
need to move away from the old technologies, the typical
traditional ways of doing things right because we've seen the
impact on the environment and we need to look forward
(06:36):
in a world today. But it's talking about official intelligence,
machine learning, Internet of things.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Nigeria has come.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
Up age in twenty twenty five to say that you
know what we need to be on the global stage
to make an impact and what that implement is in
order for us to achieve that. It's not just by
the words, also by the actions. So the good thing
is that as a country, Nigeria was part of the
Mission three hundred that happened in Tanzania. I was at
that event and a lot of our stakeholders were there.
(07:02):
And Joy has committed to an energy compact, which simply
mean that we have signed up to say, look, we
are going to do what it takes to address carbon
emission and what are some of those things. Some of
those things are, for example, saying that we need energy
is going to be half of the energy mix in
the country. So it's a very very daring proposition. But
(07:23):
it's not impossible. We just need to come back home,
decomposite to the little actions we all need to do
on the public side, on the private side, and then
figure out how to do it together.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
You mentioned the government's part of the government, because if
we are to make the sustainable government as a clerol
to play, so from your perspective as a player in
the sect, so what do you feel can be done
on the policy level to aitutionalize this compact, that's what
you're saying.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
I think one thing I've learned is able to achieve
reasonable change most times you need to think differently, I
need to act differently. So what that means is we
need to be open to new things. Right, the world
is moving on. We need to be part of this
world is moving on. And I think that already in Nigeria,
the government has taken very very bod steps in the
(08:09):
sense that we've been able to leverage some support from
the World Bank an African Development Bank to ensure that
millions of Nigerians are impacted because you'll be surprised to
know that about half of the country live in darkness
and you know, with lack of energy access you can
be productive. People can't study at night in rural communities,
(08:31):
women can't give bread safely at night. You even struggle
to you know, safely store vaccines for immunization.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
So the government is doing a lot in the in.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
The health space, in the education space by supporting enabled
energies service companies like Cicola and the others to say,
you know what if you go to some areas and
you know, you provide power in communities that haven't had
electricity before, they've not had any pose in those communities.
We would come and support you with some sort of
grant to encour you to go and do more. So
(09:02):
that is already what has happened in the past few years.
And right now we are at take position where there
is going to be an increase in that impact because
a lot of stakeholders have come together on Mission three
hundred to say, you know what, how do we ensure.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That our actions are all aligned.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
To ensure that out of these six hundred million Africas
that lack access to electricity, at least half of them,
which is still on a million people can be electrified
by the year twenty thirty. And like you and I know,
Nigeria is the giant of Africa. We have the most
to gain and we have the most to lose and
we basically are in large share of that population. So
there's going to be a lot of impact, especially for Nigeria.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's that's quite it's quite gratifying to know now there's
a lot of work in it. For me, this scenario
is the working it from the situation now with the
thing want to change mindset and we're towards adoption of
thin energy, people are going to ask how does it
affect them? From it tis what's the impact of the
cambody missions on public health? And now does aff businesses
(10:01):
in terms of being more profitable if they adopt it? Well,
I would speak to that.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
So you know, sometimes there's some cities you go.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
To Nigeria our not mentioned names, but once you get
out of the airport, you just feel the a's different,
the air is not so comfortable. That is already the
impact of carbon emission. When you think from a public
health perspective, right not being able to break well, you know,
you have issues with respiratory systems, not being able to
have clean water. You know, carbon you know, climate change
(10:31):
affects a whole lot in our ecosystem. But then what
is good is that you know, like I mentioned earlier on,
if you're not even able to stove vacines properly, imagine
giving vaccines that are are not.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
In the right states. You're already going to affect the
little baby.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
So you know, carbon emission, climate change and all of
them are really really affecting us. You know, if you
think back in recent years for example here and we say,
oh wow, February is hot.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, temperature is really hot.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Just a little increase in our temperature affects our health,
affects our set of mind, affects our productivity. So we
really have a lot to do to retrace our carboard
footprint to ensure that at least we are neutral in
terms of how we impact the environment. And it's not
a one individual, then it's not a one government. And
(11:20):
it's something that the whole world has to come together
to first identify as a problem and then take action
on it. And that's why you have the Conference of Parties,
the cop that happens annually and you have a lot
of interest now to say, look, climate change is a
major problem.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
We all need to put hands together to address.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Thank you credit credit credit. We need to this question
in terms of profitabilities and businesses. They might say the
switch might increase the running costs and then for the
private and we're ready question before, but how do we
mitigate the.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Cost the cost body on consumers? You want to make
you feel.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
So the good thing is that the government has really
understood this problem and they are the forefront of addressing it.
The Raw Education Agency of Nigeria, the ABYA has been
able to coordinate a lot of funding support from the
World Bank and AfD and AfDB and even the un
right for this purpose. So what so, what that has
done is that for companies like us who have to
(12:22):
support people to transition, the burden most times of the
upfront cost is something that with their support, it is alleviated.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So we make it so it makes it easier.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
For Nigeria to be able to pay something that is
even cheaper than what they will have spent on patrol
or on diesel, and then that way they're able to
really transition to clean our sources that are more reliable
and more sustainable.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Imagine when you.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Know your cost of power, you know, is very very
high compared to other people in Africa.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Even while you're producing, you can't really export.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
But if you can bring down the cost, it helps
the economy because we can then leverage that advantage to
be able to start thinking of not just consuming what
we produce, but even exporting what we produce. And for
this economy, we are really in need of that so
that we can actually leverage the opportunity we have to
grow the economy.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Very insightful, very insightful, very insightful.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Now I've had the question before when we join a
previous interview, now renewables. When people mentioned reneables, they all
come to mind is solar? What about complimenting with wind
and were hydro power? We have those options mean living solar.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
So you'll be surprised to I mean, we have the
large hydros right to have the kind g we have
this Hiroro.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Those are renighboring energy surcess.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
So currently about twenty percent of the energy that is
supplying the national grid, it's coming from a neighbor energy
sources like the large hydros. Yes, we have gas as well,
which is a transition feel but how do we ensure
that If we're going to have fifty percent of our
energy from real from renewable sources, that means we need
a whole lot more nable sources.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
So that means that in different parts.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Of the country, we need to ask ourselves what weneable
energy sources are in abundance. In the north, there's a
lot of solar imagination, there's a lot of you know, sunlight.
In similar parts of the country, you have you know,
small hydros. You have you know small hydros that can
give you twenty Megawa, megawat here and there right, and
then you know, in terms of wind, there's a lot
of wind potential, especially in Castina. So how do we
(14:27):
harness all these you know, neighbor energy sources to ensure
that we transition to sources that are there have less
impact in terms of carbon emission in the environment, and
then allows us to really participate in this energy transition.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So in terms of your partner the area for several
projects are currently developing solar inegrews Inawan Canoe. Can you
speak to that and the impact that you feel the
project love on the sad communities in those areas?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Great, So the area has really done a lot and
supporting a lot of players like us. We're working with
Aria through a program called the African Minigrid Program.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
It's a program funded.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
By the u N and Global Energy Fund, and Rocky
Mountain is also supporting that. But the idea here is
to really, like I had said, you know, scale up
the work that's already been done. And how we're doing
that is by going to two communities. It's not just
us there, but a few other people like us doing
the same thing across the country. To go to these
(15:30):
communities and say how can we enable energy coming as
a catalyst for development. So you and I you know that,
for example, if you have power, there's a lot you
can do. We're having this question because you know, we're
able to speak to each other in you know, a
litt up environment. If you think of rural communities, they
are farmers who today they are farming, but you know
they're they're they're not able to get their produce to
(15:51):
the markets because on the one hand, maybe they're struggling
with transportation.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
So we neighbor energy can come in to ensure that.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
For example, with the solar power you have in those communities,
you can power electric vehicles to take produce from those
farms to where they can be processed.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Now, when it gets where you're processing.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Those produces, you can also leverage you know, clean energy
technology to ensure that you have energy efficient processing machines
for processing garry, for processing parmoil, and then you can
package those and still leverage electric vehicles to take them
to the market or to take them to international markets.
So eneble energy comes in from a productivity angle to
support to your ow economies. But that's just even on
(16:31):
the economic side, what about on the social side. These
communities are places where people because of darkness at nights,
they mostly go into their houses. But with the lights
that comes in, people can meet each other. Communities can
actually convene at night. Sometimes there see children, you know,
being able to play at night after they finished studying
or before they study. So it helps the social environment
in communities. It carries the ut along, it carries the
(16:53):
women along, it carries the elderly along. And then even
on the environmental side, right, you go to this community,
most times the use firewood to cook, but you have
cleanar technologies like clan cooking. So we need books coming
in many ways to ensure that if we can from
the fringes, from the porest of the people in the country,
from those who you know, degree doesn't even get to
(17:16):
because it's not you know, from a traditional point of view,
it's not cost effective to extend the grid there, we
can go and use distributed energy resources in those communities
to ensure that we can include them.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And I know that part of what NSG.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
Is key on is to ensure that we have an
open economy that is sustainable and that there's inclusion. So
imagine how you can go into those communities include those
who we have included and you know in terms of
how we understand our GDP, and then our GDP can
really grow because they have the basic infrastructure, which is
electricity access, which is an enabler for so much more.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Absolutely, absolutely, and to questions first is then because body
on those local communities. Then second things these are people
who basically grew up with using for to feel photo fields.
Then push back from them in terms of some of
the divisions. You have to make them a brief enabling
the course Valua chain.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So I would say, you know, the secret source here
is really what we call community engagement. Community engagement means
you're identify a community that hasn't had a twesty before
you go to the community and you engage. Who is
the village head, Who is the community leader? How do
you speak to that person to say, look, we need
to work with you to include you know, all the
(18:30):
stakeholders in the community. Who is a woman leader because
women have a voice and the voice needs to be heard.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Who is the youth leader? Who is all thisest person
in the community.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Can we all sit down have a community park committee
that we can engage with you to you know, help
you understand that first of all, you don't need to
live in darkness, right because the government is doing a
lot to ensure the communities like you get out of
darkness and become part of you know, powering productivity in
the Nigeria and then helping them to understand that enable
energy technologist like minigreeds with people don't maybe are our
(19:01):
were of as something that can actually make the difference
and what are minigreed.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Minigreed are simply what we have in the.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Greater society where you have solar panels in batters and batteries,
you know, but most times now it's on the larger
scale and you'll be surprised that with these solutions, you know,
corp wood free community where you have that generating power
for the community, and then you have poses.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Within the power.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
You can have welders right to now be able to
reduce their cost of you know, welding in the community.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You can build more more homes in the community.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
You can have traders to process more, right, they can
take more to the market. You can be able to
store even you know, produce that would have been lost
due to post harvest losses like maybe fishes that have
been arrested, you can store them in code rooms because
you don't have electricity.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
In those communities.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
So we neighbor energy has a whole lot more impact
that it can actually give. And I think a lot
of awareness is being created. Maybe it's not at the
level that Nigerians, you know, we'll be able to appreciate
to really, you know, like you said, switch over and
adapt to. But I believe that a lot of efforts
has already been made and very soon that want will
be created on the wide scale.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Awesome. We certainly look forward to that.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Now it is bring me to social ability because typically
you find that.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
There's little inclusion in that space.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Traditionally women don't don't want to get involved in energy
related you know, work and all of that. So now
the partner the area for you know, the same time
projects that I've seen you visit, you know, include several
universities take twenty women and train them, you know, about
ten carriers and can you tell us about that?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Okay, I would say, I wouldn't say women don't have
interested in energyated work. Maybe we would say typically, you know,
if you go to the most universities I look at
the classroom for engineering or for sciences, sometimes you have
more males than women and there's that disproportionate advantage there
for meals. So what do you right, AGENC has done
(21:00):
is to compute a program where they said, you know
what for us to catalyze change, how do we start
with maybe about seven universities expected across the country in
Yobe and Abia, in OCN State, even in the Nigerian
Defense Academy in Karuna, to say, let's take twenty females
in each of these seven institutions, so about one hundred
and forty females. Now I imagine taking these females and
(21:23):
imagine if these females, you know, impact about twenty other
females in the long term, there's already a repe effect, right,
But how do we take them train them on reneghbor
energy because already in the institutions there is the air
neighbor energy solutions that there are large solar plants being
built in those institutions to be able to ensure that
they are more sustainable. Right, and that is already where
(21:46):
the fugial leaders of Nigeria will be trained to understand
that solar can actually power their universities. So you have
the effect that in the next ten years the leaders
of the society and.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
People who can say yes.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
When I was in university, there was a time when
solar was actually a part my university. But how do
we ensure that women are made to, you know, understand
their role in society and be able to have interest.
So that was part of our project to ensure that
we supported the area in training about twenty female students
in seven universities across the country and there are already
(22:17):
plans to scale that up to ensure that in terms
of gender balancing and gender mainstreaming, more women are are
brought into this because sustainability definitely includes inclusion and women
have to be included.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Awful you do this and what are the criteria? Just
so people can know our viewers can do. What are
youqui for selection? And for these who study in dose
seven universities who we mentioned some of them like.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Oh, yes, today's there is university in Abercota. There's a
Feral University of Abuerocota. There's a Fairer University in Abiad.
There's Nigian Deferens Academy. There's even the University of our
Buja here we also had that impact felt innu as well,
and you're beasted. But in the criteria, really, I mean,
(23:01):
you really want to ensure that people that you're giving
this rare opportunity have an interest. So the methodology for
selecting the students is a very gross one where they
have to express their interest, explain why they have an interest,
explain what they would do with the knowledge they will gain.
And we have been able to ensure that the people
that we selected we are the best in terms of
aligning with division and being able to make sure that
(23:23):
in the future they can actually be catalyst for, you know,
enabling more women inclusion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,
which is this term where a lot of women are
lacking in the country.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
For some it's nice to know that ccilized really you know,
breaking barriers because like I mentioned earlier, most companies have
a profit seeing but then if you can compliment that
this sort of sensor initiedy our colleague, it's really laudable
for our carbon emission efforts, efforts to retreat carbon emissions.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
So now by twenty sixty we.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Anticipate that the cabin foot people have the road back
in Egeria. It is ambitious? Is it possible? We just
we're just you know, hoping that something like that can happen.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Well, I would say nothing is impossible, and I hope
that most of us will be there to really see
that it is very possible. I think, like I said earlier,
on thinking different and I think differently. It is also
now very important because how do we walk backwards from
twenty sixty to say, if we have this vision by
twenty sixty, what are the necessary actions we need to
take today to get there? And if at all we
(24:31):
are getting off track, how do we ensure that we
get ourselves on track to achieve our vision.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
By twenty sixty.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
It is postulated that by the Sustainable Energy for All
that we need about one point ninety trillion US dollars
just to achieve that. So imagine this scale of investment
needed year in, year out, and mostly even at this
earlier stage to achieve that. But the great thing is
that with about seven and fifty million dollars from the
World Bank and all funding sources from after the Development Bank,
(25:02):
and what that would do to catalyze private sector investments
in the country. There is already a market that's growing
and I think the funding that will be needed to
close that gap.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
With something that we can actually achieve in our lifetime. Awesome.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Thank you very much. With speaking with Engineer Active, a
key is the CEO of Cisola. Like he has rightly mentioned,
we're all part of the effort to become an end
n IDEA is very very possible. Retarch with our mindset,
we have to change everything we've been doing to forssilized Nigeria.
We are not so far gone that we can a reface.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Our full step, but we just have to be willing to.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Change and it's a valuating issue. The governors to be involved.
As individuals, we all involved, businesses are involved. If we
all come together, we can achieve neat remissions by twenty sixty.
Thanks you very much and for yous, do forget to subscribe,
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