INTERVIEW SESSION BETWEEN THE EDITOR –IN-CHIEF,PAEDIA EXPRESS MULTIMEDIA GROUP,ABDULMUMINI ADEKU AND MR OLABODE ADEFOLU,CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,FOLUB ELETRIK SERVZ IN HIS AGIDINGBI,LAGOS OFFICE RECENTLY,ENJOY THE READING…………….
1]HOW HAS THE JOURNEY TO THE 7TH EDITION OF THE ALTERNATIVE POWER EXHIBITION BEING SIR?
THE JOURNEY SO FAR HAS BEEN OKAY BUT IT CAN BE BETTER,HOWEVER WE THANK GOD FOR GIVING US THE STRENGTH TO CREATE THE AWARENESS FOR THE PROJECT WHILE HOPING THAT OUR EFFORTS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE CREATION OF AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY FOR OUR PEOPLE.
WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEING DOING OVER THE YEARS WITH THE EXPO,PEOPLE NOW KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE CLEAN ENERGY AS IT WILL AUGUR WELL FOR THEIR LIVES.
2]HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY FORMS OF BUREAUCRATIC BOTTLENECKS IN TRYING TO APPEAL TO STAKEHOLDERS ON THE SUBJECT?
WELL,THERE HAS BEING QUITE A LOT OF CHALLENGES ,THE WHOLE THING IS CUMBERSOME AS IT IS ACTUALLY LIKE WAITING IN THE DARK FOR THEM TO GIVE YOU A RESPONSE
ORDINARILY ,ONE WILL THINK THAT THE STAKEHOLDERS WILL WANT TO JUMP ON OUR SHIP TO LEVERAGE ON US BUT WHILE THIS WAS SLOW IN COMING MANY OF THEM ARE NOW REALLY DEPENDING ON US FOR THE PLATFORM THAT WE HAD SUCCEEDED IN CARVING OUT FOR THE POWER SECTOR.
THEY ARE NOW SEEING A BOOM IN THE ALTERNATIVE POWER MARKET WHICH THEY DID NOT CREATE BUT WAS ACTUALLY DONE BASED ON THE AWARENESS AND PUBLICITY WE GAVE IT.
WE ARE EVEN STILL SAYING WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH AS WE CAN MAKE THINGS BIGGER,WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF RESPONSE FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC SINCE INCEPTION AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT THIS YEAR WILL NOT BE ONE IN ISOLATION.
3]WHICH YEAR HAVE YOU HAD THE HIGHEST HUMAN OR TOURIST TRAFFIC AT THE EXPO SINCE INCEPTION?
IT IS LIKE AN OLD WINE AS IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR DUE TO THE AWARENESS THAT HAS BEING CREATED OVER THE YEARS AND IT IS STILL –ON GOING
4]WHAT ARE THE LOGISTICS AVAILABLE FOR THIS YEARS EDITION OF THE ALTERNATIVE POWER EXHIBITION?
ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE PROJECT IS THAT WE WILL HAVE GLOBAL EXHIBITORS WHO WILL BE COMING ,IN FACT,ONE OF THE EXHIBITORS WILL HAVE ON DISPLAY AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND WE WILL BE PIONEERING THIS FEAT
THE FACT THAT THIS YEAR’S EDITION IS AT TESLIM BALOGUN STADIUM ALSO GIVES US AN EDGE WHEN IT COMES TO CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC OF GUESTS AND TOURISTS FOR THE PERIOD OF THE EXHIBITION
5]HOW MUCH WILL YOUR FIRM BE SPENDING ON THIS MASSIVE PROJECT?
WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STATE IT PRECISELY,WE WILL HAVE TO TALK OF DOCUMENTATION,COURIER SERVICES,TELECOMMUNICATION,EVEN VENUES,SPONSOR SHIPS ASIDE FROM OTHER FORMS OF MISCELLANEOUS COSTS,
SO LET US JUST SAY WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME INITIAL ESTIMATES OF AROUND N4MILLION TO N5MILLION AND THIS GOES TO SHOW YOUR OUR ENTHUSIASM OR COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT.
6]WILL YOU SAY THAT THE EXPENDITURE FOR 2016 IS HIGHER OR LOWER THAN THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS YEARS?
YES,IT IS HIGHER WHEN COMPARED TO THE PAST,FOR EXAMPLE IN THE PAST WE HAD A READY MADE MEDIA PARTNER BUT NOW WE HAD TO MOVE AROUND TO SHOP FOR OTHER WILLING PARTNERS HENCE WE HAD TO INCUR ADDITIONAL EXPENSE,BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO OVERCOME OUR LONG TERM CHALLENGE BY THE SPECIAL GRACE OF GOD.
7]DO WE HAVE ANY FORM OF SIDE ATTRACTIONS DURING THE 7TH EDITION OF THE ALTERNATIVE POWER EXHIBITIONS?
LIKE WE DID IN THE LAST EDITION,WE WILL HAVE A RAFFLE DRAW AND THIS WILL GIVE THE PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE SOMETHING HOME LIKE THEY DID IN THE LAST EDITION OF THE ALTERNATIVE POWER EXHIBITION
8]WHO ARE THE KEY DIGNITARIES EXPECTED AT THE SHOWPIECE?
SENATOR OLUREMI TINUBU IS EXPECTED TO DECLARE OPEN THE EXHIBITION,WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER KEY ACTORS IN THE SECTOR WHO WILL HELP TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR OWN QUOTA VIA PAPER PRESENTATIONS .
WE WILL USE THE FORUM TO REWARD THE CONSUMER FOR THEIR DISPLAY OF EXCELLENT CUSTOMER AND BRAND LOYALTY.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT A CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POLICY WHICH WE HAVE NOT FINALIZED BUT IT MAY COME AT THE END OF THE EXHIBITION BUT OF COURSE THIS ARE ALL IN THE WORKS.
9]DO YOU SEE THE POWER EXHIBITION AS TIMELY CONSIDERING THE CRISIS IN THAT SECTOR OF NIGERIA’S ECONOMY?
THE 7TH EDITION OF OUR EXPO WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL AND SUNDRY BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE KEY DECISIONS AS REGARDS TO THEIR POWER NEEDS ,BECAUSE THE POWER SOLUTION IN THE LAND IS NOT LOOKING GOOD AT ALL AS A LOT OF BUSINESSES HAVE NOW GONE MORIBUND.
I VISITED A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE TODAY AND THE OWNER WAS LAMENTING VERY SERIOUSLY ,SO I THINK ANYBODY THAT VISITS US THIS YEAR WILL HAVE A SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS
10]IS THE POWER MINISTRY INVOLVED IN YOUR SHOWPIECE?
WE HAVE TRIED IN THE PAST TO GET THEM INVOLVED IN WHAT WE ARE DOING BUT THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN US THE TYPE OF ATTENTION THAT WE ACTUALLY THINK THAT WE DESERVE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT,I STILL HAVE THE CONTACTS OF A LOT OF THEIR OFFICIALS IN ABUJA,BUT NOW MUCH IS HAPPENING FROM THEIR END IN TERMS OF RESPONSE
11]WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS SO?
THEY ALWAYS WANT TO ADOPT THE WAIT AND SEE ATTITUDE,PEOPLE IN PUBLIC OFFICES THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE AND NOT SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND SO THEY SAY LET HIM BE.
I ATTENDED AN EVENT RECENTLY IN ACCRA,GHANA,IT WAS THE ENERGY COMMISSION OF GHANA RENEWABLE ENERGY FAIR,SO THE QUESTION YOU MAY WANT TO EVEN ASK ME IS WHAT IS OUR OWN POWER MINISTRY AND THE ENERGY COMMISSION OF NIGERIA ACTUALLY DOING?
THIS IS EVEN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE POWER FAILURE IS HIGHLY NEGLIGIBLE AS COMPARED TO OUR OWN SITUATION AS POWER MAY NOT EVEN BE IN SOME PLACES FOR SEVERAL MONTHS ON END AND THERE IS REALLY NOTHING MUCH YOU AND I CAN DO ABOUT IT WHEN SUCH HAPPENS
12]WHY DO YOU THINK THAT NIGERIA CONTINUES TO USE VERY FEW POWER SOURCES?
I KNOW THAT 2 OR 3 FIRMS HAVE BEING LICENSED TO HANDLE SOLAR BORNE ENERGY,POWER CAN ACTUALLY COME FROM THE WIND,OCEAN CURRENTS,HEAT AMONG OTHER SOURCES AND ALL OF THIS CAN BE DEPLOYED IN SMALL COMMUNITIES
WE HAVE 774 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN NIGERIA,IF WE DEPLOY SOLAR OF ONE MEGAWATTS TO JUST ONE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,IMAGINE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POWER WE WOULD HAVE GENERATED FROM THE SUN.
AFTER ANOTHER FOUR YEARS,WE CAN INVEST IN HYDRO –ELECTRICITY AND WE REPEAT THE SAME MODULE AS WE DID WITH SOLAR ENERGY AGAIN AND GRADUALLY WE WILL HAVE CLEAN ENERGY IN PLACE IN THE NATION.
GERMANY HAS DEPLOYED MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY THAN THE UNITED STATES FOR AMERICA IN RECENT TIMES.
13]HOW MANY HOMES CAN ONE MEGAWATTS CARRY?
IT IS NOT A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER,IN IKEJA WHERE WE ARE NOW AT THE MOMENT WE CAN SAY THAT FROM COCA-COLA TO COUNTY BUS STOP AREA IN AGUDA,OGBA,WE CAN SAY WE HAVE AT LEAST 100 HOUSES AT FULL BLAST AROUND THE AGIDINGBI AREA OF IKEJA,LAGOS
THE MEGAWATT WILL BE LITTERED ,IF A CONSUMER LIKES HE CAN USE IT ,IF YOU LIKE YOU MAY NOT USE IT BUT IF YOU DO THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE FOR THE SERVICES BEING RENDERED TO YOU.
IF YOU LIKE YOU CAN DO MORE BUT THIS DEPENDS ON THE POPULATION OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ,LIKE A CLUSTER.
14]IS IT THAT THE POLICY MAKERS ARE NOT SEEING THE JUICY PROSPECTS OF THIS TYPE OF ENERGY INITIATIVES?
I WILL NOT SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT SEEING IT BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THEY ARE SERIOUSLY BOGGED DOWN BY A LOT OF RED TAPES
15]CAN WE CONQUER THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY POWER?
LET ME BE SINCERE WITH YOU MY DEAR BROTHER ,I DO NOT SEE ANY LIGHT AT THE END OF THE DARK TUNNEL IF WE CONTINUE AT THE RATE WE ARE GOING.
WHEN THERE IS A SHORT FALL IN THE GAS SUPPLY IT WILL SURELY AFFECT OUR POWER SUPPLY AND THIS IS WHAT HAS NOW SHUT DOWN EGBIN THERMAL POWER PLANT AND THE NIGER DELTA AVENGERS CAMPAIGN IS AFFECTING OUR GAS SUPPLIES,HOWEVER THIS HAS NOT AFFECTED OUR SUPPLIES TO NATIONS LIKE GHANA AS IF IF THAT HAPPENS THEN WE WILL HAVE TO PAY SEVERELY FOR IT LEGALLY AND MONETARILY
16]SO,WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD DO?
WE ARE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THE GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN USING A PLATFORM OF THINK TANKS BECAUSE THINGS LIKE THIS ACTUALLY WORK OUT IN OTHER CLIMES AND AS SUCH WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE SAME SHOULD WORK OUT HERE IN NIGERIA
17]WHAT WERE THE LESSONS YOU BROUGHT HOME IN NIGERIA FROM GHANA.SIR?
IT WAS QUITE A LOT,I DISCOVERED THAT THE GHANAIAN GOVERNMENT WAS SERIOUSLY INVOLVED IN MAKING PEOPLE COME UP FROM THE GRID AND GO TO THE ALTERNATIVE POWER PLATFORMS AND THIS IS WHAT LED TO THE POWER MINISTRY AND ENERGY COMMISSION COMING TOGETHER TO STAGE THE EVENT IN ACCRA,GHANA.
I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IN ACCRA,GHANA WAS CLEANER HEALTH WISE AND THIS EVEN HAS ITS IMPACT ON LONGEVITY AS MORE PEOPLE WILL MOST LIKELY LIVE LONGER IN SUCH A SITUATION.
CHILDREN ARE BORN WITHOUT DEFORMITY,I ALSO REALIZED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS GIVING INCENTIVES TO ITS CITIZENS TO GO RENEWABLE.
18]DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS THE CARTELS THAT HAVE STOPPED RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM THRIVING IN NIGERIA?
SOMETIMES I FEEL DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE HELMS OF AFFAIRS ,I THINK ITS DIFFICULT TO NAIL IT DOWN TO A PARTICULAR PROBLEM.
I ALSO ASK MYSELF A LOT OF QUESTIONS,IS IT THE CARTEL THAT SHOULD TELL THE STATE THAT RENEWABLE ENERGY WAS NOT GOOD FOR US ,IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL THE WHOLE THING SOUND CONFUSING
LET ME SHOCK YOU A LITTLE,DO YOU KNOW THAT EUROPEANS ARE NOW TRYING TO ERECT SOLAR PANELS IN MOROCCO AND THIS WILL IN TUN BE EXPORTED TO EUROPE AND THAT TELLS YOU THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE BUT WE ARE NOT EVEN PLANNING FOR THE PRESENT LET ALONE THE FUTURE.
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