HARNESSING NATURAL RESOURCES TOWARDS GREATER NATIONHOOD
Some of the common natural resources on earth
are land, water, sunlight, atmosphere, wind, coupled with animal life and
vegetation. A natural resource may exist as a separate entity like fresh water
and air as well as a living organism such as fish, or it might exist in an
alternate form, which must be processed to obtain the required resource to
include petroleum, metal, ores, and most forms of energy. Some, including air
and sunlight, can be found everywhere, and are known as ‘ubiquitous resources’.
Whilst, most resources only occur in restricted areas, and are referred to as
‘localized resources’.
There are very few resources that are
considered inexhaustible – these are solar radiation, geothermal energy, and
air, though access to pure air may not be possible. The vast majority of
resources are theoretically exhaustible, which means they have a finite
quantity and can be depleted if improperly managed; a good example of this is
petroleum. Such finite resources required a sound policy and regulation, to be
implemented by the concerned government, towards their preservation.
It’s pertinent to acknowledge that every
manmade product consists of one or two natural resources. Suffice it to say
that everything required or used by mankind constitute of, at least, a natural
resource. In most cases, some of these resources such as air and water, are
directly utilized or consumed by man without processing them. Such phenomenon
proves beyond doubts that humankind cannot survive or strive successfully, as
the case may be, without natural resources. This assertion is not unconnected
with the reason every rational government makes frantic effort toward adequate
use and preservation of the natural resources found within its country.
In Nigeria, hundreds of natural resources are
abound, in which each state including Abuja is a beneficiary. Some of these
resources are petroleum, tantalite, lead, zinc, glass-sand, copper, gemstone,
crystal, oil/gas, bitumen, phosphate, gold, coal, clay, salt, gypsum, iron-ore,
uranium, and limestone, in addition to sunlight, wind, land, water, vegetation
and air that are ubiquitous in nature.
Some of the aforementioned substances can
enable any country to massively embark on agriculture, and attain to any
desired height. Nigeria does not possess just land, but a well fertile land
that can produce crops in any quantity and quality. Its vegetation and
atmosphere is equally invariably good enough to raise every kind of animal
life, including wildlife. Though crop and livestock farming used to be the talk
of the day in the Nigerian society, it’s sad to note that currently such
lucrative occupation is being relegated to the background owing to
over-reliance on mono-resource, petroleum.
Moreover, proper utilization of clay
alone can take the country’s tourism industry, that’s presently moribund, to
enviable heights. Same is applicable to the use of other similar compounds or
metals that are in abundance across the federation, to include uranium,
limestone, and gold. In the same vein, it is disheartening that an essential
mineral resource like coal has, over the decades, been swept under the carpet;
coal can be used to produce energy, both in the form of heat and electricity.
It’s mind-boggling to hear that a country
like Nigeria that can boast of abundant sunlight, wind and what have you, is
still battling on how to generate steady and reliable electricity, whilst countries
like U.S.A blessed with just limited amount of the resources, are experiencing
uninterruptible power supply. Away from energy; it could be observed that our
forest reserves that could produce enough timber for importation, are currently
wearing a pathetic physiognomy as a result of docile policies.
Indeed,
Nigeria is densely endowed with various lucrative natural resources, but it’s
very sad that the governments at all levels are not doing enough as regards the
adequate use and conservation of the resources; hence, this calls for drastic
turnaround via deployment of genuine political will. Now that the sale of oil
and gas is no longer booming, it’s high time we retraced our steps toward ensuring
that each of the available resources is thoroughly harnessed for the needed
economic emancipation.
Crude oil ought to also be regularly renewed. We
can clean used oil by using pretty conventional refinery technologies. The
first step is vacuum distillation, which dewaters the oil.
Then, we do wiped-film evaporation;
this essentially separates out all the contaminants and additives. Finally, it
would go through a hydro-treating process,
which infuses hydrogen back into the hydrogen molecules and makes it a very
high quality re-refined oil. This routine can be sustained via a sound policy.
The government really needs to ensure
adequate conservation and sustenance of these natural resources, through
implementation of strict and viable policies cum laws, and their proper
enforcement. Most of these policies such as Land Use and Forests Reserve acts,
which were duly upheld in the past, are presently abused or overlooked. We need
to revive them, make amends where necessary, as well as introduce new ones,
towards attaining a greater nationhood. Think about it!
Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor
(TheMediaAmbassador)
-ICT/Engineering
Consultant, Researcher, Blogger, Analyst & Activist-
Founder/CEO, Docfred
(Nig.) Ent. - Owerri
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http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com
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