FG Pledges Support for Omatek to Reduce Power Consumption by 85%

Emma Okonji

The federal government has expressed its determination to collaborate with Omatek Ventures to maximise power by reducing consumption rate by 85 per cent.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu made the pledge when he visited the production factory of Omatek in Lagos yesterday.

According to the Minister, Nigeria has more population than South Africa, yet it generates less electricity than South Africa. He explained that for government to provide enough electricity for Nigerians, it (government) must first reduce its power consumption in order to save power that could be used by other Nigerians.

“I am impressed that Omatek has ventured into solar energy and its factory is producing and installing solar energy with light emitting diodes (LED) bulbs that reduce power consumption by as much as 85 per cent. The federal government will support Omatek on this project to ensure that enough power is saved for onward distribution to the growing population of Nigeria, since our power generation has dropped” Ogbonnaya said.

He added: “Omatek needs the support of government in the area of science and technology because no nation has ever been truly great in the world without science and technology. Nigeria should aspire to be a truly great nation in technology innovation in the world. The challenge with Nigeria is that government has neglected the importance of Science and Technology in nation building for too long,” the Minister said.

He called on Nigerians and government agencies to patronise local products from Omatek and other Nigerian companies that are into local production. “No nation has ever succeeded by not looking inward. Every great nation has looked inward to patronise their locally-developed technological innovations and other products and as such, Nigeria is looking towards that direction as well towards encouraging patronage of locally-developed products,” the Minister said.