SLC-S29/W3-“Thinking and Ideas!| Seeing Problems Differently!”

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I can remember one evening,which I was happy seeing nepa light to use in ironing my clothes to wear the next day to my sisters wedding event. Just as I press the iron on the shirt, NEPA took light. I just sat down, looking at the dark room. Hours passed, there wasn't no light. I was so angry and full of frustration. Out of anger, I carried the clothes to my neighbor's house who had small generator. He laughed and said, “My brother, if you wait for the NEPA light, you will wait till tomorrow.”

That day I really understood something which is that: many of us only complain about problems, but we don’t sit down to look at them very well. I must say that sometimes the problem that happens is not about how fast we solve it, but how we see it.

Pixabay

One big problem we face every day here in Nigeria is poor electricity supply. Light is not always steady as we expected. Sometimes you will have light for two hours or more, then darkness for the next two days. This thing affects almost everybody—students cannot read at night, shop owners lose goods because freezer no work, even hospitals suffer when there is no power. Though some people are using other alternatives.

Steps I suggest that can help solve this particular problem:

• Government investment: Building new power stations and repairing old ones which have stayed for years.

• Solar and other energy: Encouraging many other people to save money and buy solar panels to use so that we don’t depend only on NEPA light.

• Good Maintenance: Many transformers and wires are already bad. If they repair them often, light will be much better.

• Community effort: People should stop illegal connections and report faults quickly to help looks at it early.

Personally to me here's the solution I can look up to and I apply.👇🏻

How I’ll Do It

First of all, I will try to set up community mini-grids powered by solar, hydro and natural gas since we have all that here in Nigeria. So in every town they will get their own steady source of electricity without waiting for the big national grid which do always fail.

I will do well to provide loans and subsidies to private companies and local communities this will surely helps them to build these particular projects, and train Nigerian youths and engineers to install and maintain them.

I will also make sure this particular contracts is very transparent and corruption-free, so the money will enter the real work directly, and not people's pocket.

To balance this supply, solar will the provide light during the day, while batteries will store energy for night, while hydro and gas will be serving as backup. This mix will surely makes power reliable and strong.

The Benefits

With this plan, Nigerians will enjoy steady light for homes, schools and businesses.

Communities will get jobs from building and maintaining the grids, and small businesses around will grow because power won't cut all of a sudden.

Rural areaswhich doesn't connect to light before will finally have electricity, making life much easier and boosting local economy. By reducing dependence on one big grid, blackout for one place won't always affect the whole nation.

Altogether, this will turn steady light from dream into everyday reality which Nigerians can trust.

This problem do still exist because we don’t treat it as urgent anymore. Many People have already accept it as “our normal Nigerian life.” Instead of fighting for change, many just buy generator or rechargeable lamp.

Another reason is corruption. Money which government put for the electricity project, many times it doesn't reach the work. People eat the money and leave us in a clear darkness.

Also, Nigeria population have grown big as at now. More big houses, more appliances, but the electricity system doesn't expand to match our demand.

The part many people don't really understand is that: they always think that electricity issues is only government problems. But the real truth is that, we too the citizens add to the problem. Some people do steal light with illegal connections, some don't pay bill. All these things weaken the electricity system.

Another misunderstanding is that people thinks that generator is the main solution. But No, because generator is very very noisy, it cost a lot of money for one to purchase a big generator that's capable of giving light to the big equipment in the house. And this will really bring noise and air pollution to the environment. It is only temporary, but not the real solution.

Pixabay

If I could I would have loved to change one mindset, which is the belief which people say that “Nigeria can never has a steady light.” Many people have lose hope. They will just say, “This is how it will always be.”That kind of thinking do really kill progress.

I will really encourage people to believe that steady light can happen. Other countries which suffer before have do well to fix their power problem. If we change our mind from hopelessness to possibility, we took will push leaders harder and also do our own part.

Electricity problem can look too big, but the way we see it is a matter. Complaining won't bring the light. We need to check the root, change our thinking, and take responsibility which we can. Coping with generator is not enough. We must demand real solution. If we believe that steady light can happen, then one day Nigeria will move from darkness into brightness.

Cc:
@ninapenda