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Electricity: A Pre Condition For Take-Off By Abubakar Mohammed Sambo
The invention of electricity revolutionizes the entire way of doing things....Man lived in society thousands of years before now, living under different types of ‘systems’. Hundred years ago, technology was what the people of these generations put in place to make life easier for them. For example, the skills they deploy in digging their water wells; grind their cereals for meal; make fire to cook food and boil water; make farm tools and other tools for hunting, like hoe, spears, bows and arrows etc for farm cultivation and hunting alike. They have ways of sending information by way of communication to their neighbors and make public announcements.
The world of today is entirely tangibly different from how our fore fathers lived. In other words the technologies of our forefathers and ours in the present world are remarkably different. All in a bit to make life easier and conveniently bearable to the people and enhanced quality in all that we do.
The most remarkable factor that brings about such life enhancement was the invention of electricity. Every other thing that revolves around us was made possible because of the presence of electricity. Therefore without such ‘factor’, communication over a distance can only be limited to our forefather’s mode of communication in the Stone Age, which is by using smoke, fire drums, signs, shouting and or with a held symbols etc.
The revolution brought through internet and communication technology (ICT) was all possible because of electricity. We have Televisions, Radio, DVD players, Satellite receivers, Computers, Printers, cars, air craft, lamps, shavers, telephones, fans, camera etc all because of electricity.
I have discovered of recent that the growth and advancement of human beings achieved can not have been possible, and to maintain and sustain such achievements could not have been possible without electricity. I cannot read and write without electricity, I don’t learn faster, I don’t think faster and I don’t do my work faster without electricity.
My fathers’ typewriter, “Brother” was a manual one. It is easy to use at anytime, but cannot ‘undo’ and ‘redo’ typing, it cannot save documents, and don’t uses a ‘ribbon’ only not a printer! That manual typewriter was replaced by an electric typewriter and finally a computer. Computer technology was made possible because of electricity and the computer cannot work without electricity.
My grand mothers’ grinding-stone has been replaced with an electric blender for grinding pepper and hard nuts. My uncle’s hand-sewing machine is now obsolete and has been modernized and replaced with an electric one and it is faster and more easily used.
My training, introduced me to a computer system and its peripherals. Now, I do almost everything with my computer…reading, drawing and writing alike. I have adjusted and mastered the art of computer by using its packages so well, so much so that all my books, my writing and drawing materials, my documents, my photos and all what not are stored in my computer, so much so that my visitors always see my pictures and other photos through my computer! Life has indeed made easier now, and human life expectancy have now increased globally and much more came as a result of electricity.
Now, my computer is my most intimate friend! and 95% of my office files and folders are now in my computer, my dictionary is in my computer, my photos, my credentials, my mails and my appointments are all in my computer. I use my computer to communicate with thousands of people and institutions across the globe via the internet on almost a daily basis.
Corruption, economic mismanagement insensitivity and indiscipline in my country, by my countrymen is making it impossible for me to do my jobs and continue the way it should have been. We need electricity to explore our potentials through science and technology researches, we need electricity to achieved an enhanced health system, good nutrition and above all have a good life. For more than a decade in Nigeria today, electricity has become a mirage, despite the high minerals and economic potentials we have in this country. While other countries are going nuclear and solar to generate their energy requirements with an adequate reserves, our two mighty rivers of Benue and Niger cannot longer support our hydro-electricity requirements not because the water in the rivers are no longer there, but because of a corrupt-driven and insane thoughts of those that claims to manage the affairs of my country; whom look at self before duty. The thermal power plants are also there in addition to the rivers, but the electricity is not there.
The importance of electricity in bringing about an enhanced qualitative life and development generally is vibrant and non arguable. How then are we expected to progress and make breakthroughs, in research for science and technology innovations? Where lies the vision 20-2020 without electricity, Whatever vision we could hold, all the dreams we could have about the country’s development, all the energies that could be dispense and channeled for development, we can never achieve it come 20-2020 times 20 millions years except we have made electricity available in Nigeria. It is our pre-condition for take-off.
Sambo, is a Ph.D candidate at the department of Political Science and Defence studies, NDA Kaduna. |