Abstract
Renewable and unconventional energies have finally moved from the realm of ideas to fact. They, as was expected and feared, have forced deep changes in world economies. Fortunately, they have, at the same time, begun to fulfill an aspect of the dream that made them an alluring idea in the first place- help humanity fight climate change. For decades, large scale exploitation of energy has been the preserve of industrialized nations. It is therefore understandable that they would lead the push for the practicalization of renewables and unconventional energies. Since the nations occupy less than a third of the world, their diminished carbon footprint will not be enough to reverse the effects of climate change. The objective of this research is to posit that just as these nations initiated and were mainly responsible for the excessive and unregulated use of fossil fuels all over the world, they should also try to do the same for renewables if they want to save humanity from the devastating effects of climate change. Nigeria, like most countries in Africa, is a case in point. Her fossil fuels, coal, oil, and gas were brought on stream in the twentieth century to satisfy foreign demands. Now that these demands have found other sources, a chaotic operation has been left for the locals to vandalize or operate, further creating a disastrous situation that will speed up climate change. What is true for Nigeria is equally true for more than 50 other foreign created/controlled countries of Africa, the second largest continent globally. Evaluation of research on renewable energy and Nigeria will be done to lay the facts bare and show the things that have to be put in place to start the process. The result will show that while there are constraints, Nigeria as a country will greatly benefit from policies based on renewables and unconventional energies.
