ANALYSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NIGERIAN LAWAND POLICY IN PROMOTING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY

Access to electricity is a vital requirement for the growth and development of a country. This is highlighted in the case of Nigeria, a developing country which possesses abundant resources but has failed to adequately harness these resources, and thus attain its peak politically and economically as one of the leaders in the world. A significant hindrance to the low level of development in Nigeria is the erratic power supply. The demand for electricity exceeds its supply. Consequently, this has had considerable adverse effects on individuals and businesses and, furthermore, deterred foreign investments. To tackle this challenge, the government proposed and initiated some reforms involving the addition of renewable energy to the energy mix, besides conventional energy. Nevertheless, slight improvement has been observed in the sector in comparison with other jurisdictions where similar measures have had significant impact on the power sector. The implementation of the regulatory framework for clean energy in Nigeria can be considered a major factor inhibiting the growth of renewable energy. Equally, Nigeria’s status as a major oil and gas producing country can also be considered as a deterrent. This is reflected in the priority given to conventional energy sources in contrast to renewable energy. This article seeks to highlight the importance of incentives in the implementation of a comprehensive legal and policy framework in advancing clean energy and ameliorating the poor state of electricity in Nigeria. This will be done on a comparative basis by analysing Nigeria’s legal and policy framework for clean energy with that of the US and the state of Texas, a major fossil fuel producer, to determine how it has been able to effectively use clean energy for electricity. © Edinburgh University Press.