Nigerian Coal: Before We Eventually Say Good Bye

By Cami Ezenwa

Despite the availability of other energy sources, Nigerian coal for a long time remained an attraction being a ready source of energy generation.

The discovery and full exploitation of this natural resource has been under the purview of the Nigerian Coal Corporation, which was established in 1950.

Coal is a primary source for synthetic compounds of various types, for example, pesticides, waxes, dyes and oils for different domestic and industrial applications.

Checks by The Eagle show that Nigerian coal, estimated at over 2.8 billion tons, is preferred being generally characterized by low Sulphur, medium to high calorific value, low ash and low moisture contents

But the, the reality is that many nations of the world are now racing to phasing out coal as an energy resource. For developed countries, 2030 Is the deadline and 2040 for developing countries of which Nigeria is a part.

Affordable energy fuel, but this does not equate the danger to the environment, being the largest source of energy-related CO2 emissions, a major trigger to global warming.

An  Inspirecleanenergy.comblog article argues that any gas that absorbs and emits radiation is a “greenhouse gas” and that “carbon dioxide is the most prevalent of all greenhouse gases, which is one of the reasons it comes up so frequently when discussing climate change issues”.

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Sean Pine in One World Education, argues that though the natural process is CO2 is not harmful, but that the excess emission of greenhouse gasses is. “The Earth is trapping too much gas in the atmosphere, which gradually warms the Earth”

Worse, experts warn, air pollution from coal-fired power plants is linked with asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, neurological problems, acid rain, global warming, and other severe environmental and public health impacts.

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The Union of Concerned Scientists, in their article of Nov 15, 2017, argued that burning coal releases a range of airborne toxins including mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and various other heavy metals.

“Health impacts can range from asthma and breathing difficulties, to brain damage, heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders, and premature death”, the article asserts. With these, it is then understandable, why the world is willing to say good bye to coal.

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