An interesting media putsch to “lightup Nigeria” is in full swing; several bloggers have posted just as media enthusiasts have taken to Facebook, Tweeter and similar portals to add their might to the campaign. An expanding list of the discussants can be found on Nigerian Curiosity.
Some years back, I would have been part of this mass of concerned and highly enthused people, after all availability of stable electricity is the core foundation of Nigeria’s development and a passport out of doomsland.
So, it’s a critical campaign, no doubt (see past and related articles on the subject), but I doubt if it’s one suited for Facebook and other social networking sites. The policy makers that must be reached are not there in good number, in fact very few Nigerian administrators are online! So what’s the end point…? Must we continue to preach to the choir each time we’re aggrieved and needing an outlet to vent our frustration?
Until social critics and web activists (this writer inclusive) can find ways to extend their campaigns from the pages of blogs and Facebook to the doorsteps of Nigerian administrators, their voices will remained locked up in the Internet void, impotent. These voices must be brought home, clearly and creatively, to engage the right people.
It’s is good that Nigerians are talking about this, even if it appears the the medium is not the most ideal. I’m curious to know the location distribution of these ‘voices’ — how many are within Nigeria?
Some suggestions:
1. The organizers need to find allies among the Nigerian newspaper outlets, civil society and political class.
2. Need to sue some form of geo-coding tags to indicate the spread and reach of the campaign.
3. Education – what is the problem/challenges at hand? How can it be solved, creatively and collaboratively?
July 20, 2009 at 10:44 am
One of the challenges I have is appreciating the scope of problems and limitations facing the power project in Nigeria. Given the need for power in Nigeria and its 140 million people strong economy, I don’t see why investors are not falling over themselves to get a piece of the action! The govt needs to do a better job at getting private participation.
July 20, 2009 at 10:49 am
A national grid mentality is what I think is the problem. Power consumption is local, so having a national approach is simply off the mark!
Thanks for bring this to my attention.
July 20, 2009 at 10:51 am
Several of the ‘commissioned’ projects by Obj have no gas supply…yet baba went ahead and commissioned them as completed projects.
And if what we’ve read in the dailies are true, Nigeria future gas supplies have been sold already. Until we can generate more gas locally (a difficult venture given the Niger delta conflict), most gas-fired plants will remain quiet.
The only alternative is to look at coal and some renewables – local waste-to-energy plants, solar-thermal, wind and hydroelectric. I won’t touch nuclear or geothermal at this moment; we’re not ready.
July 20, 2009 at 10:59 am
I have suggestion:
Have all political office holders in Nigeria turn off their residential electric generators for 48 hours every week until supply reaches 6000MV. This blackout will only last till December, when Yar’Adua promised we will reach 6000MV.
July 20, 2009 at 11:06 am
See:
Ibom Power fires its turbines today on Next
http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Money/5437264-147/story.csp
July 20, 2009 at 11:08 am
That’s always going to be the problem, going beyond the pages of Twitter, Blogs and Facebook. The #lightupnigeria campaign has brought electricity supply issue back on the agenda. The next phase will be to provide practical solutions on how communities can become self-sufficient by exploring alternative energy technologies (e.g like solar energy in Barefoot communities in India)
http://www.agegelabs.com/2009/07/17/lightup-nigeria
July 20, 2009 at 11:24 am
Thanks for the comment AL. I think the question is more of giving investors easier access to the power market in Nigeria. Whatever the alternative energy source, it’s going to cost some money of which a good chuck will have to come from private investors.
@Naijaman: The 6000MV is no longer feasible by December, this is not to suggest I’m against your suggestion, I love it! …we have to think of how to get it enforced though…:)
Tony, Bola, Festus, R-Kay: I’m in full agreement, sirs! Seeing how things are done in Nigeria, it will be great to see what our managers see when making decisions.
July 20, 2009 at 11:41 am
I think we all know what the problems are in Nigeria, what we don’t know is how to deal with them – from both top and bottom and at the same time!
July 20, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The beauty of such an outcry is that it creates for solutions to the problem. Whether the law makers and authority figures are listening or not. Only time will dictate that. Eliciting the responses on this site goes to show that this project is yielding results.
Oga’s driver, madam’s houseboy or “mugu Nigerians” (no pun intended) etc. go soon know the game wey oga dem dey play.
We all live on mortgaged air supply because of our selfish needs and desires. All man is a prisoner of his own imagination. Nigeria’s energy problem is fixable if we want it fixed. Any side swipes of this issue requires a measure of negative response in the same vein.
You all quit fooling around and help us hold the switch on. There are 140 million folks in the dark.
Only when my folks make vibrations like these the wicked ones a go FEAR…
This is musical… a mocumentary in the make… Go catch your own fish today… 1Luv
Fred Bardy
Music Maker & Strategist.
July 20, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Jumping from the pages of Facebook to the streets of Lagos is what’s required to make this a reality.
In addition to what Tony’s suggestion, how about getting the Nigerian student association, the labour, and other visible professional association on board?
How about calling for weekly 1-2 day industrial strikes nationwide until govt respond?
July 20, 2009 at 9:21 pm