February 3, 2019
Seeing Dr Kola Adesina speak eloquently on the famous and reputable global media outfit, the Cable News Network (CNN) “Marketplace Africa” on February 1, 2019 about the opportunities in Nigeria’s energy sector and the roles played by Sahara Group gave every patriotic Nigerians some sense of belonging and hope that the future is truly here, a fact that cannot be controverted.
Marketplace Africa is a programme on CNN that covers the macro trends impacting the African region and profiles the continent’s key industries and corporations and showcasing the apparent opportunities in them.
Kola Adesina who currently sits as the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, is probably one of the best examples of notable visionaries who have been instrumental to the growth of the energy sector in Nigeria and Africa. With multiple college degrees, Dr Adesina after his initial degree in insurance went on to become an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Insurance. He subsequently moved on to the energy sector, where he has carved a niche for himself in the power sector in Africa as an expert who serves as a resource person for African governments and regulatory authorities.
In addition to his professional achievements and feats, Kola Adesina who is also the Chairman, Egbin Power Plc, Nigeria’s largest Power Generation firm, mentors young professionals, setting them on the path of excellence and sustained achievements across various disciplines. His investment in interventions that promote youth development is an indication of his resolve to give youths platforms to express their abilities.
Before now and painfully so, news that often come out of Africa is almost negative. Moreover, it almost never touches on the African youth. So for a change of tune or old narrative, there should be global awareness about some phenomenal and visionary entrepreneurs and investors that are emerging from the continent especially Nigeria who are doing extraordinary things.
This is not the first time though, that Kola Adesina will be showing love, patriotism and unalloyed support for his country, therefore his engagement on Friday, February 1, 2019 with the CNN interviewer never came as a surprise or fluke, even as he said:
“Adequate power supply is an unavoidable prerequisite to any nation’s development, and electricity generation, transmission and distribution are capital-intensive activities requiring huge resources of both funds and capacity. In the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria where funds availability is progressively dwindling, creative and innovative solutions are necessary topics to address the power supply problems.
Nigeria has an estimated 176 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, giving the country one of the top ten natural gas endowments in the world and the largest endowment in Africa. Natural gas is a natural occurring gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons gases found in underground reservoirs. It consists mainly of methane (70% -95%). With small percentage of ethane, propane, butane, pentane and other heavier hydrocarbons with some impurities such as water vapour, sulphides, carbon dioxides, etc.” He said.
However, it is instructive to note that Nigeria’s enabling environment needs to create its own Jack Ma, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates etc, and we also need to multiply our Dangotes, Elumelus, Adenugas, Petersides, Okeowos, Otedolas, Otudekos, Adedoyins, Alakijas and thankfully the Adesinas that is now in the category of these great men and woman of repute and distinction.
It is only appreciate to commend the likes of Adesina in driving transformation at the nation’s largest power generation plant, working through a number of veritable Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) and in collaboration with its various esteemed technical partners. The company’s initiatives have brought to Egbin, an unprecedented level of innovativeness, professionalism, energy sufficiency, human capital development and continuing investment in new technology.
