Going To The West To Beg As Victims Can't Solve Our Problems - Okonji-Iweala

SIGNAL on December 7, 2015 at 4:34 pm

Former Minister for Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has

said the solution to Nigeria’s power problem lies in off-grid

initiatives that are climate friendly and not going to the

West to beg as victims.

Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke at the Conference of Parties

(COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change, (UNFCCC) in Paris, France, said Nigeria

needs to get the private sector involved in the power

sector, adding that government must look at renewable

and off-grid solutions like the solar power generation.

She said: “Almost three quarters of infrastructure that

Africa needs, we still don’t have it. This means that the

power we need, the road and the railway, we can still get

these infrastructures and have it in a way that is friendly to

climate change that lowers emission and puts us on a low

carbon growth path. How do we do that?

“We have to get the private sector, we are looking at

power, look at renewable energy, we are not saying

renewable should be everything because Africa should

have a mix. We can still use gas to some extent, but we

should increase the renewable. Our companies that are

investing should look at off- grid solutions, let our

companies get off -grid solar solutions for our people

before other people come into it because that is what

always happens. Instead of flaring, we can use the gas, we

can convert this gas for our use and I know government

has the power to do that.”

The former minister, who is also the Commissioner, Global

Commission on the Economy and Climate spoke at a

session titled: Climate Change in Africa: Financing

Sustainable Pathways for Development at the ongoing

Climate Change talks.

She said the solution for climate change lies in Africa

because of the opportunity to build renewable

infrastructures on the continent.

“Africa should stop playing the victim game. We are not

supposed to be going to the West to beg as victims, we

should be telling them that the solution is in Africa. Our

infrastructures are just developing we have the

opportunity to build in a climate friendly way and avoid

the mistakes of the developed nations, “she added.

Okonjo-Iweala said African countries should divert funds

used in fossil fuel subsidy towards the generation of

renewable energy.