FOOTPRINT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA

The study assessed the impact of renewable energy technology on environmental and socioeconomic development in North-Central Nigeria. Findings revealed that most shared the view that the introduction of renewable energy technologies has led to noticeable environmental improvements, such as reduced noise and air pollution, across many communities in NorthCentral Nigeria. The study's findings revealed that stakeholders agree on a set of environmental concerns: e-waste and improper disposal. Across groups, generation and disposal of solar battery waste (lead-acid and end-of-life lithium) and informal disposal practices were repeatedly flagged as primary environmental concerns. Quantitative and qualitative research designs were adopted. The targeted population was 9,000. Purposive and proportionate sampling techniques were used to sample 368 respondents for the study. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A 31-item questionnaire was administered to the respondents with the help of six research assistants. 5-point rating scale, modified type, was used. The instruments were validated by three (3) experts. The internal consistency of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha reliability was used to determine the reliability of the instrument, which yielded a coefficient of 0.81. The data gathered were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while One-way ANOVA was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that with reduced smoke inhalation and lower emissions from fossil fuels, communities recorded fewer respiratory-related illnesses, especially among women and children who are usually more exposed to biomass cooking fumes. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers recommended, among others, that Government agencies should harmonize renewable-energy policies at federal and state levels to create a stable and predictable regulatory environment. Also, Federal and state governments should expand targeted financing schemes such as grants, low-interest loans, tax incentives, and subsidies for households, schools, hospitals, and small businesses