Introduction

In the current era of digitalisation and technology, resource development depends on energy access. With the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7–Clean and affordable energy–in view, there is a need to accelerate efforts toward achieving this goal. SDG 7 does not equate to energy access alone but abolishing fossil fuel-based and carbon-emitting energy sources. Nigerians heavily depend on fossil fuels to meet their basic energy needs. Due to the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels, there is a need to purge this dependence and make clean sources available and affordable.

Nigeria’s population, economic size, cultural and political influence, and more have given it the “giant of Africa” moniker.  Yet, many questions arise to fact-check if Nigeria lives up to its name. Nigeria has been named the poverty capital of the world twice, and its citizens still struggle to harness the seemingly unavailable resources to break out of the poverty line. The World Bank also stated that Nigeria has the highest energy deficit, with over 90 million people lacking access to electricity.  The heightened electricity crises, among many other problems, question Nigeria’s ability to live up to this moniker.

Nigeria possesses diverse renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass and even resources to utilise green hydrogen that could power the nation daily. However, many obstacles hinder the harnessing of these energy sources. To tackle them, the Nigerian government, in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All, created The Nigeria Energy Transition Plan (NETP). The NETP foretells and differentiates the future of Nigeria operating with the current energy sources from Nigeria operating under net zero. The NETP seeks to lead Nigeria into net zero by tackling the problems within these five sectors: Power, Oil and gas, Building, Industry and Cooking. This plan seeks to decarbonise the nation by utilising Nigeria’s gas resources, solar energy, and other technologies like battery systems and electric vehicles.  However, the NETP isn’t inclusive enough, as it makes no provisions for the adoption of different sources of energy, particularly wind energy.  

Owing to the destructive nature of gas emissions from fossil fuel use, there is a need to integrate wind energy into the Nigerian energy mix. Wind energy can be a double-edged sword—powering the nation and effectively reducing carbon. 

Wind Energy in Nigeria

Nigeria has not examined and maximised wind energy’s potential for replacing fossil fuels. Energy institutions like the Energy Commission of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Power conducted a critical analysis in 2004 to review the potential of wind energy in Nigeria. A  decade later, an inaugural project was established in 2014 – the Katsina wind farm. 

The Nigerian government attempted to harness wind energy through the Katsina wind farm, also known as the Lambar Rimi windmill project, awarded to Vergnet in 2009. It could generate 10MW consisting of 37 medium-scale wind turbines, each having a rated power of 275KW, estimated to power 2,000 households. The Lambar Rimi windmill project, commissioned in 2021 by the Federal Ministry of Power, has performed below expectations due to insecurity and financial issues. 

In addition to efforts to develop Nigeria’s wind energy potential, The National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) had set a target to achieve 0.17 GW of grid-connected wind capacity as of 2020 and increase to 0.8 GW by 2030. Wind-based capacity is pegged at 0.8 GW in 2030 and will reach a maximum capacity of seven  GW by 2050.

According to previous studies, Nigeria  has a modest  potential  for wind energy harnessing with annual average speeds of about 2 metres per second (m/s) in the coastal region and 4 m/s at heights of 10 metres in the country's northern region. Wind energy resource mapping carried out by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2004 shows wind speeds of up to 5 m/s were recorded in the most suitable locations, revealing local potential for wind energy.

The report indicates high wind speeds are expected in the Sokoto, Jos Plateau, Gembu and Kano/ Funtua. Other locations like Maiduguri, Lagos and Enugu also showed fair wind speeds, sufficient for energy generation by wind farms. 

Apart from the formerly listed sites, promising regions with usable wind potential are located on the Nigeria western shoreline (Lagos region) and partly on the Mambila Plateau..Plateau, Gombe, Zamfara, Katsina and Borno account for the highest wind speeds at a 100m height, ranking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, respectively. Meanwhile, on mean power density, Plateau, Gombe, Adamawa, Zamfara, and Katsina rank 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively. The Northern states show strength based on their energy profile. 

Using Wind Energy to Capture Carbon 

Technologically advanced countries are working extra hard to ensure that their quest for civilisation and productivity does not compound the effects of climate change. To improve energy access and double down on carbon emissions, researchers from various institutions like Columbia University have examined the feasibility of carbon capturing^. 

To capture carbon with wind turbines, energy systems designers and engineers must design turbines as funnels. The motor attached to the blade serves as a filter and extractor to extract carbon from the atmosphere with an underground system for storing the carbon.

First, the wind turbines must be strategically placed at high altitudes to collect the excess carbon. So far, researchers have opined that it is best to use systems that work well with filters or liquid solutions that collect carbon from air (or wind). When the filter is whole, excess heat and electricity will flush away the carbon through a funnel to an underground system to store the carbon.

To set up carbon-capturing wind turbines, wind energy experts in Nigeria must perform a wind assessment study to ascertain the viability of power generation in specific locations, especially with intense carbon emissions. Also, a site selection will follow to determine necessary details such as grid proximity and connection. 

Benefits 

1. Environmental Impact:

Wind energy is a clean energy source without the risk of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during its harvesting and use.. Per the pledges made to reduce carbon emissions and commit to the 1.5-degree Paris Climate Agreement, The Global Renewables Alliance launched the #3xRenewables on the 18. Emissions tend to gather at higher altitudes, and  wind turbines, utilising the elevation advantage and atmospheric properties (wind) to generate energy, could capture carbon and GHGs in the atmosphere. This process could be beneficial in industrial zones, farms and building sites. 

1. Improved Energy Access and Expanded Energy Mix

Including wind energy as an energy source allows diversification of energy generation and eases overdependency on particular energy sources. Doing so could empower nations to allocate energy sources to different parts of society or even initiate a hybrid mechanism. Nigeria’s topography gives Nigeria an edge in diversifying its energy sources. Some instances include using wind energy in the coastal line in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and more with heavy industrial operations or using wind in states like Kano, Sokoto, Plateau, and others for agriculture. 

1. Increased revenue generation:

Agriculture is critical to Nigeria’s economy. As of 2020, Agriculture had the highest employment rate in Nigeria^, and in Q2 of 2023, Agriculture contributed 21% of Nigeria’s GDP, with crop production dominating at nineteen per cent. Research has shown that wind energy is highly important to agricultural development. Arid areas in Nigeria could utilise carbon-capturing wind energy technology. While wind farms supply energy to generate water for irrigation purposes, the blades could also capture excess carbon in the environment, hence purifying the air. 

Challenges

1. Access to Funding

To develop carbon-capturing wind energy technologies, there is a need to inject immense funding into research and development. Implementing the needed technology in Nigeria will require colossal capital, which the country lacks as the government attempts to raise funds to actualise its energy transition plan. Nigeria will also need funds to train and support human capital development. Also, leaping into local manufacturing of these technologies might be very tricky. Therefore, we might need to import these technologies, which can be very expensive.

1. Technical expertise

In discussing energy transition, there are topics around insufficient technical expertise. Energy sources like solar that have been present still suffer insufficient expertise. Nigeria still has a long way to go in developing and utilising wind energy. The energy transition plan excludes wind energy, which implies that the 840,000 jobs to be created by 2060 do not necessarily cover wind energy expertise. So, Nigeria might need to import human capital initially, which might be expensive and time-consuming. 

Nigeria can be a game changer in the African renewable energy space by adopting wind energy as a carbon-capturing mechanism. However, there is a need to invest in research and development, skill acquisition and technological advancement. This will also increase the energy access rate in Nigeria and improve national development, investment and productivity. Stakeholders in the energy sector, particularly renewables, need to sit together and discuss mechanisms to adopt wind energy to capture carbon. The emergence and provisions of the Electricity Act 2023 also present an opportunity for expanding and utilising Nigeria’s energy resources nationally.

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