Stakeholders  in the energy sector have renewed  the call for Nigeria to effectively deploy  and scale up wind energy as part  of  Nigeria’s energy mix to curb its  perennial power crisis.

They made the call at the formal launch of the Nigeria Wind Energy Council (NWEC),an affiliate of the Global Wind Energy Council(GWEC), on Friday in Abuja.

The launch brought together experts in renewable technologies and key industry players from both the private and public sectors, including the Federal Ministry of Power and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

The event with the theme, “Harnessing the Power of Wind for Nigeria’s Future,” offered a roundtable on prospects for effective utilisation of wind energy in Nigeria.

According to the stakeholders, as Nigeria’s energy deficit continues to stifle economic growth, there is need to effectively harness renewable technologies, especially on wind energy.

Mr Temitope Omowumi, the Council Coordinator , said although Nigeria has huge prospects for wind energy utilisation, its development was still at nascent  stage because of  lack of awareness and the required know-how.

According to him, the NWEC is   a non-profit, non-political, and independent council that is set up to promote and champion the cause of wind energy in Nigeria.

“I think from the presentations that were  made today and from  studies, wind is a major consideration in the renewable energy mix and globally it is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies.

“It is also complementary to other technologies like solar and if we want to break the gap between energy access and energy transition, wind is a major technology that has to be considered.

“It is to time to replace the dirty energies with cheaper and cleaner ones and wind is a major one, as  is cheaper and effective.

“We will be looking for collaborations with all relevant stakeholders to push the objectives, the mission and vision of the council.

“The other part of our thematic focus area, aside from communication, includes market intelligence and data, pilot projects, promotion, and capacity development which is  critical to the adoption of this technology,” he said.

Wangari Muchiri, Africa Director, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC),said  there was need to promote  and support  renewable energy sector in Nigeria  to enable it contribute to the country’s effort  to end energy crisis.

“We have launched the Nigeria Wind Energy Council, which is an affiliate of the Global Wind Energy Council and it’s great to have a body that finally will be advocating for wind energy in Nigeria.

“We are looking forward to working with the private sector, government stakeholders and others to explore this wind and make it a key part of development in Nigeria.

“I am coming from Kenya, and 15 per cent of our grid is wind energy, and I have  seen various wind farms to  be the backbone of wind energy of  energy in Kenya.

“I think the same thing can happen here in Nigeria, and it is not only big wind farms but also small wind farms that can power businesses, markets and various other applications.

“I think wind is viable for Nigeria, and even  local governments can be a key part of this with the Electricity Act, allowing states to procure their electricity and to have their systems,” she said.

Mr Ademola Ogunbanjo, Executive Vice President, Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL), said Nigeria needs an effective an energy mix to tackle it’s energy challenges, and wind energy was a viable option.

Ogunbanjo, who is also the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for the NWEC, said deployment of wind energy was very feasible because Nigeria has wind resources to tap into at different levels and scales.

“We need to bridge the power deficit in Nigeria with a combination of all the energy sources that we have,and wind has a role to play in the same way as solar, geothermal energy, and biofuels.

“The story of the energy transition, the mix is just one that sails more in the arena of renewable sources than it does on the fossil side.

“So there is indeed a major role for wind to play as a resource in providing power to Nigeria and Nigerians.

“We have seen significant wind resources in states like Plateau,Niger,  Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, and  we have  also seen relatively commendable wind resources even in the southern part of the country,” he said. ((NAN)