BY PATRICK MGBODO
Amid Nigeria’s escalating electricity challenges, the Delta State Government yesterday, said it is exploring alternative solutions to improve the productivity and quality of life in the state.
The frequent collapse of the National Grid, which has occurred 12 times in 2024 alone, has driven Nigerians to seek alternative, more affordable, and cleaner energy sources for their homes and businesses.
To this end, the Office of the Head of Service, in collaboration with Messrs Deno Integrated Industry Limited and Dej 1st Global Solutions Limited, hosted a one-day seminar on alternative power and solar energy for civil servants in Asaba.
Addressing participants at the seminar, the Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko said the objective of the workshop was to expose civil servants to feasible options for addressing the perennial challenge of inadequate and unreliable power supply in Nigeria.
Mr. Bayoko, represented by the Director of Public Service in the Office of the Head of Service, Mr Steve Ekurume, noted the implications of inadequate power supply on productivity and the general welfare of Nigerians, stressing that a reliable power supply is a sine qua non for accelerated development.
‘’Indeed, the issue of inadequate and erratic power supply has been a recurring decimal in the nation’s socioeconomic landscape. The effect has been crippling and catastrophic on our lives as individuals and collectively as a nation, marked by low productivity and its ramifications.
‘’Under this situation, to stimulate local productivity is difficult and to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is herculean. Although numerous attempts have been made by the Nigerian State to remedy the situation, it is clear that the climate for unraveling socioeconomic development remains a mirage until the fundamental issue of power supply is addressed.
‘’Here in Delta State, as public servants, we face this challenge every day. It affects our productivity, efforts and general wellbeing. Hence, we are excited and enthusiastic to explore alternative power solutions being offered by Deno Integrated Industry Limited and Dej 1st Global Solutions Limited, especially given the present high cost of petroleum products’’ he said.
In his welcome address, Dr. Dan Ogojiafor of Deno Integrated Industry Limited emphasized the urgent need for more reliable energy solutions amid Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges, just as he expressed gratitude to the Delta State Government for creating a platform to educate civil servants on alternative energy options.
Remarking, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Martin Bolum, encouraged the civil servants to pay rapt attention to the presentations and understand the cost implications and payment options of the product to make informed decisions.
On behalf of the participants, the state Chairman of the Parlimentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Comrade Tim Appah, thanked the state government through the Head of Service for the opportunity to explore alternative power solutions.
