The Ministry of Transportation has announced the Federal Government’s plan to introduce solar powered vehicles to Nigerian transport system. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the plan involves the introduction of vehicles that can dive on water and land also.
He said the steps are necessary to reduce pollution emanating from combustible vehicles, which has been hazardous to the environment and public health. And the Federal Executive Council has approved plans to effect the initiative. The Nation reports.
It’s an initiative that has waited for so long to come by, at a time when climate change is wreaking havoc on the planet, and the world is tirelessly looking for a solution. Countries like France, Sweden, Norway etc. have set a goal to eliminate combustible vehicles by at most, 2050.
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Unfortunately, only a few African countries seem to be interested in spearheading the drive in the African continent, the rest are dragging feet. And Nigeria for long has been leading the group of the lax countries.
Earlier this year, the Senator representing Bayelsa East, in the 8th Assembly, Ben Bruce Murray introduced an electric bill that will see Nigeria gearing toward cleaner energy, but it was killed on arrival by other senators.
In fact, the former Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu called for the Nigerian Government to frustrate the efforts of other countries trying to replace diesel engines with electric and solar engines. He said that Nigeria is an oil producing country, and will suffer a great revenue loss if the rest of the world switch to cars with cleaner energy. But in response to the fears of Nigerian Government, Senator Ben Bruce said:
“The world is going beyond electric cars. Now, the next generation is thinking of electric planes. Meanwhile, Nigeria rejected my electric car bill, claiming it is a threat to our oil industry. An Ostrich that buries its head in the sand fools only itself.”
Senator Bruce added that electric cars and the quest for cleaner energy do not depend on whether Nigeria implements policies that are environmentally friendly or not. “The world is moving ahead, and it has already left Nigeria behind,” he said.
To demonstrate his staunch belief in the future of electric cars, Senator Bruce ordered his company, the SilverBird Group, to henceforth, purchase only electric vehicles. But that’s just a drop of water in a sea of backward swimmers. The idea of protecting the oil industry at the cost of innovation and environmental cleanliness seems to be winning right now.
However, the introduction of solar powered vehicles by the Federal Government has given hope for a future where electric vehicles will also thrive.
IT’S AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. MY QUESTION, HOWEVER IS THIS: HOW DO THEY PLAN EXECUTING THE POLICY, IS IT BY EMBRACING AND ENCOURAGING INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY OR BY IMPORTING THE WHOLE LOT, LOCK STOCK AND SMOKING TWO BARRELS, FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, PROBABLY CHINA?
IF IT’S MORE OF THE LATTER THAN THE FORMER THEN A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE LOST TO LEAP FROG NIGERIA’S TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.