News
Energy Conservation: A Crucial Process for All
By Okoko Chidozie Christian
[email protected]; 090215179984
Energy plays the most important role in the economic growth,poverty eradication and security of any nation.
You might be wondering how simple it is in making conscious decision to use less energy.
But, when we lower our energy use; we slow down fossil fuel depletion thereby clean up our environment and save money for ourselves.
However, fossil fuel is a non-renewable source of energy that is created deep down with the earth’s surface over the course of millions of years.
Inevitably, we will run out of them at some point upon reliance as our primary source of energy.
These fossil fuelsnegatively impact the environment when we burn them creating an incredible amount of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon-dioxide, methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide to mention but a few.
However, these gases such as carbon-dioxide, add up faster than the atmosphere can absorb, then prevents earth from maintaining a stable temperature properly.
For example, coal when burn, leads to carbon-dioxide emission that contributes to global warming, acidic rain, smog and soot which is limited to congenital disabilities, cancer and other severe health-related conditions.
As such, we must begin limiting our energy consumption because the faster we turn through these non-renewables sources; the more time we have to develop alternative energy solutions.
Today, uninterrupted energy supply is an important issue for all countries helping to supply a wide variety of critical loads, in situations of power outage or anomalies of the mains.
The applicability of such system can be found in distributed generation, micro grids and renewable energy systems.
Hence, the future economic growth of any country will crucially depend on the long-term availability of energy from sources that are affordable, efficient and environmentally friendly.
Meanwhile, it is difficult to grasp the amount of energy consumed worldwide.
To illustrate this, the global annual energy consumption corresponds to the energy released from the Hiroshima nuclear bomb energy every four seconds which is about 1.5 x 1013 joules of energy.
Energy remains an important factor in all sectors of any country’s economy;and enhances the provision of basic needs like cooked food, piped water, essential health care services, educational aids, communications, transportation and lots more.
Research reveals that security, climate change, and public health are closely related to energy, but inability to access these energieswill lead to poverty, deprivation and possibly economic decline.
Moreover, energy conservation is a crucial process that everyone should adopt because it helps protect the natural environment and greenhouse gas emission mitigation.
This could be achieved when you apply better ways of using the same amount of available energy to perform more useful work. It will also help in reducing the need for non-renewable source of energy.
Fortunately, we can minimizethese greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of energy in our homes.
This simple act of energy conservation can help slow global warming which allows for lower impacts on mental health, injuries and fatalities caused by severe weather; improve air quality and reduce air borne allergens leading to a reduced risk of cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
Conservation of energy can be defined as “the prevention of wasteful energy use”.
For example, turning off the light in room that are not currently occupied, using a programmable thermostat, walking instead of driving among others.
Since energy conservation entails reducing wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services, you can agree with me that improved efficiency through technological upgrade, improved operation and maintenance, changing user’s behaviour, monitoring appliances, and providing energy-saving recommendation among others will be a crucial process that everyone should adopt.
Energy crises as essential disruption in economy’s supply of energy resources has deepened in most developing economies due to the rapid exhaustion of non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas, oil and coal among others.
But, there are various reasons behindit such as increased population growth, no renewable resource options,increased in price of products, increased global warming, energy waste and unequal distribution of wealth to mention but a few.
Transition to renewable resources can be one of the best solutions to eliminate world’s reliance on non-renewable resources while improving overall conservation efforts.
According to the Law of Thermodynamics in Physics, “energy is neither created nor destroyed, but merely change forms.”
For example,changing potential energy to kinetic energy, chemical energy to mechanical energy and so forth.
Perhaps, it is easier to talk about what energy allows us to do.The story of energy never ends because energy can never be used up; it is said to be conserved.
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
Cisco is exploring artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to support smallholder farmers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand digital inclusion and technology adoption.
The initiative focuses on improving agricultural productivity through accessible, data-driven tools.
The move aligns with growing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States under the Commercial and Investment Partnership, which prioritises the digital economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2026 World Business Chicago, Brian Tippens, chief social impact and inclusion Officer at Cisco, said the company is assessing practical AI applications to help farmers combine local knowledge with data insights.
He said Cisco is exploring tools such as AI-enabled WhatsApp communities, geospatial mapping and weather intelligence to support day-to-day farming decisions.
The approach reflects a shift towards low-cost, mobile-first solutions suited to rural environments.
Tippens added that the Cisco Foundation is investing in early-stage startups developing technologies for local agricultural challenges.
Industry analysts note that AI adoption in emerging markets depends on locally relevant solutions, rather than large-scale enterprise deployments alone.
Beyond agriculture, Cisco plans to expand digital skills development in Nigeria through programmes such as the Cisco Networking Academy’s One Million Learners initiative.
Tippens said the programme also supports partnerships with organisations working with persons with disabilities, including those developing tools for people with visual impairments.
He added that Cisco’s social impact strategy aims to improve access to technology and promote inclusion, including in conflict-affected regions such as Borno State.
Cisco’s initiatives form part of broader efforts to link digital skills, connectivity and AI adoption to economic development in Nigeria.
Federal Government has launched a nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building programme for teachers in Federal Unity Colleges, with about 11,700 educators set to acquire digital skills aimed at improving classroom instruction and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
The initiative advanced with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of the AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme.
The programme, to be implemented through the ministry’s Education Support Services Department, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector, strengthen teacher professionalism and equip students with skills required in the digital economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Director of the Education Support Services Department, Gabriel Amudipe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s teaching workforce and the future of education.
He said the nationwide rollout followed the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted in selected Federal Unity Colleges.
According to him, the implementation model developed by ICEDT Consult Limited will ensure effective coordination and quality delivery of the programme across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Amudipe urged officials responsible for monitoring the project to ensure strict compliance with the implementation guidelines and maintain the standards achieved during the pilot phase.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting innovative initiatives that strengthen teacher professionalism, improve learning outcomes and promote the responsible integration of emerging technologies into education,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Education Support Services Department, Oladele Fapohunda, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to deepen digital innovation across Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the objectives of the initiative nationwide.
Also speaking, the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Learning Scientist at ICEDT Consult Limited, Dr Abdulrahman Orosanya, said the Federal Government approved the national rollout after the successful pilot implementation in six Federal Unity Colleges representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Orosanya, the pilot demonstrated the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve lesson planning, classroom delivery, assessment methods and teachers’ productivity.
He said the nationwide implementation would strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve instructional delivery and support the government’s vision of building a technology-driven education system capable of producing globally competitive graduates equipped with 21st-century skills.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Terms of Reference by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, signalling the commencement of preparations for full implementation across all Federal Unity Colleges.
The ministry said the programme would directly train about 11,700 teachers, while thousands of students across the country’s Federal Unity Colleges are expected to benefit through improved classroom instruction, increased digital innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s education system, improve teacher quality and deliver inclusive, equitable and future-ready education nationwide.
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