Nigeria Ranks Top Of Energy Poor Nations In Africa- United Nations Organization

United Nations Organisation (UNO), on Monday, said Nigeria remains ranks top as one of the countries in Africa with significant energy poverty.

Dr Kandeh Yumkela, Under Secretary General and special representative of the

Secretary General of the United Nations disclosed this on Monday, at the international legacy lecture series held at the Bamanga Tukur African Renaissance Centre, Abuja, as part of the activities lined up to mark 79th birthday anniversary of the immediate past national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, according to report from Nigerian Tribune Speaking on the theme: “The New International l Development Agenda: Energy Transition and Sustainable Development,”

Yumkela said Nigeria “needs a stable polity, focused public policy, public private partnership, among others, in order to end energy poverty.

According to him, “today, the world faces some significant challenges in terms of looking at the trend of increase in energy demand, with increase of about 50 to 60 per cent in the next 30 to 35 years. “Africa remains the most energy poor.

Globally, 600 million Africans have no access to electricity. We also see a connection between energy demand and water demand. “Nigeria probably has between 70 and 80 million people without electricity. Nigeria is a significant part of that energy poverty.

Another statistic that is more frightening is that 80 per cent of our people rely on firewood and charcoal for their family energy needs, especially for cooking.”

According to him, the development resulted in 800,000 premature deaths every year, cancer and a lot of problems for women and children.

“We are pulling a global target of 30 to 40 per cent reduction in gas flaring in the next five years, to lead to zero flaring within the next decade.

In the case of Africa, we are promoting strongly gas to power project,” he said.