OANDO IMPLORES GOVT. TO DRIVE USAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

Wale Tinubu, GMD, Oando Plc.

Tectono Business Review gathered that a subsidiary of Oando Plc, known as Oando Energy Resources Limited (OER), has called on the three tiers of government in Nigeria to develop legislative and regulatory frameworks to drive the usage of renewable energy in the country.

The Head of Operations Integrity at OER, Mr. Kayode Boladale, while speaking at the LiveWell Initiative (LWI) 2015 Annual Multi-sectoral Grand Health Bazaar (GHB2015) held recently in Lagos, said that the use of renewable energy would help alleviate poverty, especially as it enhances technological capacity and economic development of developing countries. He said that environmentally sound technology may also prevent people in developing countries from destroying the basis of their life-support through over-exploitation of natural resources.

Mr. Boladale elucidated that renewable energy provides an enormous opportunity to drastically reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, pursue economic growth and enhance energy security, thereby, advancing sustainable development.

In his own words: “It is necessary to develop a communication and awareness action plan to raise awareness on the benefits of using renewable energy and energy efficiency against other forms. Therefore, Governments have a duty to create the enabling environment through a government –private collaboration in developing infrastructures required to drive renewable energy.”

According to him, renewable energy and energy efficiency are widely recognised as the most promising alternatives for reducing fossil energy consumption, mitigating climate change, and advancing the goal of energy sustainability. He added that renewable energy propels a green economy revolution and captures interrelationship between the environment, the economy, and human well-being in the effort to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

He said: “It reduces drastically the consumption of resources like coal, fossil fuel and others that have many harmful environmental effects: devastating lands, causing air and water pollution that are toxic to human health and the environment. Use of Renewable energy sources enables people to cook without suffering from wood-smoke pollution. It also reduces CO2 emissions by removing the need for highly polluting diesel generators.”

While highlighting its activities, Chief Executive Officer of LiveWell Initiative (LWI), Mrs. Bisi Bright, said: “In the areas of executive health, work life balance and workplace wellness, LWI continues to lead the ‘pack. LWI works with several corporate organisations, providing key solutions to workplace health challenges. We also provide community engagement services and corporate social investment solutions using our innovative tools and turnkey’ solutions to enhance organisational bottomlines.  Our mainstay remains the people at the base of the pyramid; a population which we serve through our illness poverty alleviation programme.”