Expert urges FG to establish solar system technology hubs

Godfrey Akuebionwu, a solar system expert, has urged the Federal Government to create solar technology hubs for the country to ensure development and overcome the current economic recession.

Akuebionwu made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He urged the government to exploit the solar system by establishing technology hubs where youths, especially graduates of electrical engineering, could be trained in the production of solar panels.

NAN reports that solar panel refers to a panel designed to absorb the sunlight, as a source of energy for generating electricity or heat.

Solar panels constitute the solar array of a photo voltaic system that generates and supplies solar electricity in commercial and residential applications.

“Nigeria has abundant solar energy and building solar panels that can absorb the energy radiated from the sun to be converted to power for electronic gadgets including street lights, should be encouraged.

“In those days, nobody heard about China. When you are looking at electronics you talk about Japan.

“Chinese citizens were labourers in Japan, helping to develop Japan’s economy, but they realised themselves and came back home, telling their government, “we can do it,” and today China has taken over the world of electronics.

“Most graduates of electronics engineering are there idle looking for white collar jobs because even if they want to start up, the financial backing is not there.

“Government should set up hubs as we now have in the ICT sector, where youths can access everything and makes it possible for them to build this most critical element that can save the country from power dilemma,’’ Akuebionwu said.

He said that a country blessed as Nigeria with so much heat and sun at its disposal should use this resource as a comparative advantage to the extent that it could export it.

Akuebionwu said the government should turn around this time of adverse economic situation to grow this sector so as to develop panels that could power small businesses and boost the economy.

“No government can provide all that the citizens will require but it is in the government’s interest to make a conducive environment a reality.

“The government should try to create an alternative energy source that can be utilsed instead of Nigerians remaining in perpetual power deficit,’’ he said.

Akuebionwu advised the government to look into this area and turn it into an exportable resource that could generate wealth for the country as well as creating employment for the citizens. (NAN)