In my previous publication relating to 
You would agree with me that after food, clothing and shelter which are the primary needs of man, power is a major need for every nation. A research report by Zupančič and Grilc (2012) reveals that energy a fundamental requirement for human existence and activities and that the increase in the world’s population has also increased energy needs and consumption.
The domestic need for energy for cooking (heat energy), transportation (fuel energy), lighting (electrical) as well as industrial needs to power machines are on the increase. Even as a country richly blessed with natural resources – fossil fuels/petroleum, coal, fuel wood, water resources, natural gas, etc, it is very difficult for the common man to have access to energy for his daily needs.
Though Nigeria exports her fossil fuels, yet the nation suffers a huge lot on electrical power. The raw materials (crude oil) we export are refined in other countries and sold back to us for use as fuels at a very high cost. We frequently experience price hikes in the petroleum based products. Moreover, our environment are well depleted with the continuous use of petroleum based products
Sadly, even the refined fuel for cooking kerosene costs as much as NGN300 per litre (equivalent to 2 STEEM in the current exchange). This amount is very and cannot be afforded by many especially in the rural areas. Such resort to the use of fuel woods as firewood for cooking which is a risk to environmental safety and sustainability as forest resources are destroyed daily. Further, not much concerted efforts are made for the planting of trees.
Personally, after paying so much as electrical bills for a month (as high as NGN3,000 = 20 STEEM), I can only enjoy electrical power for 2 days in a week. Consequently, I have to be using Petrol (PMS) at a rate as high as NGN1,000 = 6.7 STEEM on a daily basis to power computers in my creativity hub using my generating set. This is quite exorbitant and constitutes to an inflated daily running cost. At weekends, it becomes very difficult to have access to power to even make my posts on the STEEM blockchain.
Why all these Stories?
AM so burdened for my people and my country. Am so burdened for the younger generation who have been pressed into mould because the basic conditions that would have birthed innovations are not possible. So sad for those yet to discover STEEM as a social blogging platform that could reward them and substitute their internet cost.
In Nigeria, there is need for intense search for alternative feedstock and sustainable technology that can counter the shortcomings of non-renewable energy sources. Exploring these alternatives has in the past been left government who play politics with it. Being a part of a decentralized platform like STEEM affords me to synergize with other like minds to explore other potential means of sustainable energy.
To this end, I intend to resume a research to harness sustainable and alternative energy systems for cooking and powering of lights and small machines in homes. We have lots of untapped resources and it’s time to begin to exploit and explore them.
As a priority shall be to harness wastes which are recoverable in homes, farms and cottage industries for the generation of energy for cooking and lighting. With our high volumes of waste generation, a sustainable system of power generation for home use can be achieved and it will be a strategy to heal the environment.
Images
References
Zupančič, G. D. and Grilc, V. (2012). Anaerobic Treatment and Biogas Production from Organic Waste, Management of Organic Waste, Dr. Sunil Kumar (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-925-7, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/management-of-organic-waste/anaerobic-treatment-and-biogas-productionfrom-organic-wastes
