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Tanzanian geologist challenges African...
2006-09-26 08:50:29
By Ludger Kasumuni, Johannesburg
African scientists must rise up to the occasion and look for workable solutions to reduce power crisis facing the continent, a former University of Dar es Salaam don, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, has said.
The don,who is the head of South Africa based International Council of Science (ICSU-Africa), presenting the work plans to the organisation\’s members said, there was at least nine sources of energy to generate electricity but African nations had not risen up to the occasion.
’’This is a challenge to us to tackle this problem. Africa is still lagging behind in the world in terms of consumption of electricity,’’ he said.
Giving out the figures he said, India alone has been surpassing the African continent in the production and consumption of electricity.
He listed the sources of energy which are yet to be exploited effectively by Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan African countries as bio-fuels, solar, wind, sea waves, hydrocarbon on the sea beds, nuclear power from Uranium and hydrogen.
Prof Muhongo, a Tanzanian geologist said African countries including Tanzania could emulate Mauritius, which had adopted excellent technology of generating 20 per cent of her electricity needs from sugarcane wastes.
’’In fact Mauritius is now thinking of reducing exports of sugar to get more raw materials for production of electricity. This is an excellent achievement which can be emulated by other African countries,’’ he said.
Earlier, in his speech to officially open the ICSU forum, the South African Deputy Minister for Science and Technology, Derek Hanekon said it was a pity that although River Congo alone was able to generate hydro-electric power for all Sub-Saharan African countries, Africa was still the lowest in the world in terms of energy consumption.
Hanekon challenged African scientists to come up with workable solutions on power crisis by adopting a strategy of economic utilisation of diverse sources of energy.
He said Sub-Saharan African countries could not achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) without increasing the production and consumption level of power.
’’Our challenge is to make real differences in the lives of our people. Please, come up with a good mix on the use of various sources of power to lessen energy crisis,’’ said the South Africa ’s Deputy Minister.
ICSU Executive Director, Thomas Rosswall, said ICSU had decided to launch its Africa’s branch in the mid of last year in order to increase participation of African scientists in research activities to tackle various problems affecting the continent.
Rosswall said Africa continent was still lagging behind in terms of membership to ICSU, calling for African scientists to collaborate with ICSU-Africa regional office.
Drawing more than 100 delegates, including leading African scientists, diplomats, representatives of regional and international organisations such as the African Union (AU) and United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the three-day forum was set to deliberate four major themes, including sustainable energy in Africa.
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