Say your goodbyes now
FG wants Nigeria to end the use of diesel generators
Good morning, Big Brains. So, since buying ordinary ChickWizz always seems like a reckless financial decision, I decided to assemble those exact ingredients myself to recreate, and let me tell you… I made absolute rubbish. Just wow.
- Chigor
Word count: ~ 1,200
Reading time ~ 5 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
FG wants Nigeria to switch from diesel generators to an integrated hybrid energy system
It’s looking like the new coalition might give APC a run for its money
The Big Deal
FG wants Nigeria to switch from diesel generators to an integrated hybrid energy system
We hope you’re good at goodbyes because the Federal Government (FG) wants you to say a major one soon, particularly to diesel.
On Wednesday, July 2, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, announced that the country will be phasing out diesel generators for an integrated hybrid energy system in no time.
Shettima said this while speaking at the Decarbonising Infrastructure in Nigeria Summit (DIN SUMMIT) held in Abuja. He explained that this switch is especially important because Nigeria is on a mission to reduce its carbon emissions and potentially get to net-zero emissions by 2060.
If you’re wondering how the carbon emissions are your business, the VP wants you to know that climate action should no longer be viewed as luxurious because it is super important for Nigeria’s future, especially economically. In his words, “Decarbonisation must not stop at Abuja’s gates. It must reach every local government, every community, every home.”
To show it is not about to do cho cho cho, FG wants to use the Onne Port to show how good it can get, and to do this, it has already started discussing with private investors to “commit nearly $60 million to electrify the port and transform it into Nigeria’s first green port.”
“We are not here to fantasise. We are here to finance, to mobilise, to de-risk, to build. The Nigeria we want cannot be realised on diesel generators and fragile grids. It will not emerge from a model that chokes our lungs while draining our treasury. We must build a Nigeria whose infrastructure heals, rather than harms”, Shettima said.
Why is this a big deal?
Before we get into the importance and viability of this plan, we want to ask the Vice President whose fault it is that Nigerians are highly dependent on diesel generators and are disadvantaged by “fragile grids.”
Now, to the importance of this plan: the idea of an integrated hybrid energy system for the sake of climate change is not an idea that we can hate; a modern energy system that combines different power sources like wind turbines, solar panels, hydro, and storage system batteries will reduce Nigeria’s carbon emissions and allow Nigerians to enjoy more stable electricity than they’re currently used to.
Will this be sustainable? Nigeria is not short of sunlight, so generating power from the sun has never been an issue, as many Nigerian homes already do this. Also, Nigeria’s proximity to the Sahara Desert (in the North) and the Atlantic Ocean (in the South) favours wind energy systems.
But seeing as these are natural sources (and only as good as when they’re available), an integrated system that combines renewable natural sources with diesel and storage systems (like batteries) will balance it out.
Can Nigerians afford this? Renewable energy sources have high initial costs, and their long-term costs are still being debated. While some individual opinions and academic studies indicate they’re costlier for consumers, others, mostly governments, say they’re cheaper.
The Nigerian government has not quite revealed its distribution plans. We’ll know when we see them.
What will the transition period be like? This is quite possibly one of the most important questions here, and it is especially so because the Nigerian government does not exactly have a reputation for being considerate or humane in times of compulsory change. In 2022, for instance, Nigerians suffered many inconveniences (some, leading to death) after the government decided it was a brilliant idea to make old naira notes magically disappear, instead of slowly phasing them out. We want to assume that the government has learned from its mistakes, but this is Nigeria.
The idea of an integrated hybrid energy system is a generally cool idea, but there are still questions to answer and factors to consider before implementation.
It’s looking like the new coalition might give APC a run for its money
It might be initial gra gra, but it’s looking like a new coalition of opposition movement in Nigeria (currently platformed under the African Democratic Congress) might give the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) a fight.
For some time now, politicians have been swarming to the APC at an alarming rate. The movements were so much that they sparked concerns of a one-party state system, which President Tinubu has denied in as many words as possible. But as it stands now, the APC is no longer the only party attracting politicians.
Though the ADC coalition was officially unveiled on Wednesday, July 2, it’s giving that “me sef I no small” energy. Already, it has been joined by Former Senate President, David Mark, who officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday.
The former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, also resigned from the APC yesterday to join the ADC. Others who have joined the coalition include the former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, and ex-Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
In case you’re wondering, the APC says the coalition does not faze it because it does not believe it’s a worthy opponent. But didn’t the PDP express the same sentiments back in 2013 when the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) merged to form a coalition that now known as the All Progressives Congress (APC)?
The race is definitely on, and we’ll be here to give you live updates as they happen.
Your next big read
→ What She Said: How I Survived a Marriage to a Covert Narcissist: This 32-year-old Nigerian woman’s marriage turned out to be nothing like she imagined. What started as love and belief in a struggling man’s dreams spiralled into emotional manipulation, verbal abuse, and isolation.
→ I Brought My Granny Abroad to Help With My Twins. I Regret It Every Day: When Gbemi* (33) found out she was pregnant with twins, bringing her maternal grandmother to the UK for omugwo felt like the perfect way to fill the gap her late mum left behind. She imagined warmth, support and a comforting sense of finally having a mother figure by her side. But just a few months in, the experience has been anything but peaceful.
The Big Picks
Nigeria needs $1bn to sustain immunisation gains- Official: The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, on Wednesday said the country requires $1 billion over the next five years to sustain immunisation gains.
Senate adopts electric vehicle bill, considers green future: The Senate has taken a significant step towards promoting green mobility and local manufacturing with the adoption of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill 2025.
Let’s settle this thing…
This Week’s Big Question
“We’re officially in the second half of the year. How has the economy treated you so far?”
Naza’s response - “I can say it’s made me spend more strategically”
You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Naza’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
Take a quiz before you leave
Take This Quiz and We’ll Assign You a Ministerial Position: Share your results and tag us on social media.
😂😂Sorry about the ChickWizz.