RECENTLY, in a development which recalls the poet JP Clark’s depiction of “burial by instalment” during the Nigerian civil war, police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, confirmed the death of a couple from inhaling generator fumes in their apartment. According to an eyewitness, following power outage and heavy rain in the night, the couple had resorted to placing their generator within the passage of their apartment. But by the next morning after their co-tenants received no answers after repeatedly knocking on their door to ascertain their wellbeing, they decided to break into the apartment, where they discovered the couple’s lifeless bodies. Confirming the incident, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that the couple died from carbon monoxide inhalation. Such tragedies are, of course, routine around the country, and the point is not whether someone else will die soon but where and when.
In August last year, a mother, her three children, her younger sister and brother-in-law were killed after inhaling generator fumes at Isi Obehie in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State. In July 2019, neighbours to a family of seven killed by generator fumes in Elele community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State wept uncontrollably as they beheld their bodies lying lifeless in their apartment. The neighbours, who became apprehensive after seeing no trace of the victims, namely a father, mother and their five children, forced open the main door to their one-bedroom apartment. In October of the same year, fumes from a generator killed a couple and their daughter in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. The Divisional Police Officer in the area led his men to the scene and found the lifeless bodies of the victims, whose names were given as Luscious, Ngozi and Geraldine Iwunze. A similar tragedy struck in the state in March 2021 when two students of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) died after apparently inhaling noxious fumes from their power generator in a locked room in their hostel in Eziobodo, Owerri West Council Area of the state. The list is literally endless.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution from generators and other fuel-powered appliances is a significant public health concern in Nigeria. But Nigerians, the vast majority of whom depend heavily on generating sets due to the country’s chronic electricity supply challenges, can hardly count on governmental intervention as the tragedy worsens. More often than not, there is no power and people rely on generators. However, because generator thieves are almost always on the prowl, people want to keep them close enough to themselves. Sadly, this is nothing but a death sentence. And in spite of the huffing and puffing of the political leadership, Nigeria’s power generation capacity remains insufficient to meet the electricity needs of Nigerians. The national grid and distribution infrastructure are outdated, and shutdowns are routine. Worse still, large amounts of generated electricity are lost during transmission and distribution, and years of corruption and mismanagement within the power sector have reinforced this terrible state of affairs. Is it any wonder, then, that Nigerians continue to battle air and noise pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon monoxide poisoning?
Although the government has democratised power generation and distribution through legislation, a range of factors, including poor investment in grid infrastructure and the failure to ensure the development of off-grid solar, wind, and hydroelectric power to provide alternative energy sources, have conspired to keep the power sector down perpetually. Given this tragic state of affairs, it can be no news that in peace time, as opposed to the time JP Clark spoke of in his epochal poem, The Casualties, Nigerians keep dying needless deaths. That, of course, can and must be reversed. As suggested by experts, the government must take concrete steps to ensure a radical turnaround. Among other steps, it must develop a clear and cohesive energy policy that prioritises renewable energy, energy efficiency, and grid modernisation, encourage private sector investment in the power sector, and develop energy storage systems and advanced grid management technologies to improve grid stability and efficiency. This is in addition to transitioning to a diversified energy mix that includes renewable energy sources, nuclear power, and cleaner fossil fuels. It must also invest in grid modernisation and smart grid technologies while encouraging energy-efficient practices among consumers. This is in addition to fostering transparency and accountability in the power sector through regular audits, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
In the meantime, Nigerians should of course learn to exercise great caution while using generators. It is wrong, like many Nigerians do, to lock windows while using generators. It is also wrong to keep generators in enclosed spaces such as basements, garages, or sheds. Generators are best kept at least 20 feet away from openings such as windows, doors, and vents, and are not to be used during strong winds, heavy rain, or extreme temperatures. And given the tragedies that keep recurring, we encourage the public to avoid leaving their generators on all night where they can. It is better to endure heat than to die from generator fumes. These recommendations notwithstanding, there is the ultimate question of Nigerians’ reliance on generating sets for their electricity needs. It is a tragedy that in spite of its natural endowments, Nigeria has been described as the country with the world’s worst electricity access. That is unacceptable, and there can be no greater evidence of governmental failure. How can a country with Nigeria’s massive endowments in gas, crude oil, wind and solar energy depend on generators?
According to the current global thinking, electricity is a human right, not a luxury. The earlier the federal and state governments realised that and invested heavily in power generation, including through economic integration schemes, the better for the country. Enough of deaths from I better pass my neighbour generating sets.
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