Tesla’s Self Driving Cars And The Daunting Challenge Of Nigerian Roads As Petrol Moves Over To History’s Dustbin
The Oasis Reporters
September 26, 2024
Great advances have been made in the world of science for the advancement of humanity and human progress sometimes in the field of things that challenge existence and difficulties that face people.
In Nigeria today as a leading crude oil producer, a product like petrol that is very basic to power not only movement of people but also in propelling the economy came under severe strain because for decades, refining petroleum by Nigeria’s four gigantic but comatose Refineries put a strain on the economy of people as well as social mobility.
To compound issues, the subsidy on petrol was removed by the government. It didn’t get better even after Aliko Dangote private refinery commenced production.
The point is that ordinary people could not afford to cough out money in the region of one thousand naira plus to buy just a liter of petrol that cannot power a generator for an hour.
Travelling from the one point to another point became terribly expensive. A trip for instance from the city of Ibadan in the South West to Onitsha in the South East that would in the past cost about five thousand naira now gulps almost twenty thousand naira.
Blame the rising cost of petrol which under former president Goodluck Jonathan who left office in 2015 was 65 naira per liter. Today under President Tinubu hovers in the neighborhood of 1,000 naira per liter. Many businesses have been grounded. Most cars can no longer be driven and movement for business or social interactions have been severely limited.
A good thing that knowledge is advancing and new products and services are emerging.
Today, there are cars that do not ride on petrol or gas, but on green energy.
South African born United States engineer, Elon Musk has a company that produces electric cars. Therefore if greater affordability becomes the lot of lucky Nigerians, the need for gasoline or petrol is being eliminated gradually.
From that basic function to newer frontiers, advances are continuing and greater progress is being made. There are now self driving cars.
Imagine someone who hitherto cannot drive but learning the skill of issuing instructions to his or her automobile, it means movement is now reloaded and movement is back again, cheaper and better.
There are now self driving Tesla Cars manufactured by Elon Musk’s company.
Elon Musk also owns SpaceX and Starlink, the satellite network company. It practically covers the globe. Therefore with accurate GPS positioning and tracking, navigation is accurately plotted in cheaper dimensions.
But are Nigerian roads being built to enhance such navigation?
That is another daunting frontier to challenge and overcome if there is committed leadership that agrees to be selfless.
Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com
