ABSTRACT

The study was prompted by our curiosity to investigate the extent energy policy in the country is directed towards the exploitation of the alternate options in renewable energy resources. Specifically We examined a relevant federal agency in our locality, the National Centre for Energy Research and Development (NCERD), University of Nigeria Nsukka, which was established with the above implied objective in mind. In the study, we attempted to determine whether the agency has developed a renewable sourced electricity generation power from its alternate energy research and equally attempted to determine how far the immediate neighborhood of the agency has utilized the services accruing from its research activities in order to see if the supposed benefits could be broadened for national benefits. Our study identified the development of Solar PV (solar electricity) with the internal research of the Centre. On the other hand, however, we found that the immediate host community of the Centre is not yet substantially benefiting from the Centre’s products as it concerns electrical services sourced from alternative/renewable energy resources. To accomplish the above set goals in the study we conducted two separate opinion surveys targeting the appropriate publics respectively and generated requisite data from combined data gathering methods which analysis resolved both of the research questions and the hypotheses. This research report is outlined in five chapters. Chapter one lays the general groundwork for the research by providing the primary background of the study and devoting to issues of methodology including the review of the Literature. Chapter two is committed to reviewing the scope of the objectives which the agency of our case study is mandated by the policy that established it.  Chapters three and four are devoted to the presentation and analysis of the data generated from our two separate surveys respectively. Chapter Five provide a summary of the study, the conclusion and offers some policy recommendations.