By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations Alliance (REEEA-A), Dr. Imamuddeen Talba, has urged the Federal Government to provide incentives such as free land, tax holidays, and import duty wavers to renewable energy sector to boost electricity generation in the country.

Imamudden who spoke to journalists in Abuja yesterday ahead of the group’s National Conference on Renewable Energy in Nigeria with the theme “Optimizing Opportunities in the Energy Transition Value Chain” on March 1-2, 2022, said such incentives would not only boost the sector but lead to reduction in cost.

According to him, the cost of acquiring land for major renewable energy projects accounted for about 30 percent of the total cost.

He said: “In the next ten years, we expect that 10 percent of the total energy generated in the country should come from renewable energy. However if we are able to have a very strategic plan, we are blessed with renewable resources in this country. Solar, wind and others, we believe that we can surpass the 10 percent of the right plan is in place.

“If we go by the kind of investment the government is making now and if we can improve the business environment by can achieve it.

“When you talk about the total cost of renewable energy,  you find that the cost of land alone represents 30 percent of the total cost”.

He stressed that “renewable energy is one of the critical tools for transiting to clean energy and we chose the theme because we want to analyse and define the role of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the transition and for achieving the objectives set for Climate Change as contained in nationally determined contribution (NDC) as submitted by Nigeria in the Paris Agreement and the reviewed commitment submitted at the COP26, Glasgow, in November, 2021”.

The conference, Dr. Imamuddeen explained, will be Nigeria’s largest gathering of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE&EE) practitioners policy makers, researchers, manufacturers, investors, stakeholders and consumers.

“Over 1,000 participants are expected to attend through physical or virtual participation. RE & EE stakeholders, sponsors and exhibitors will get the opportunity to explore linkages and collaboration with the Nigerian government and its relevant agencies towards promoting clean and affordable energy to end energy poverty in the country”, he added.