Eleven years of daily wind records were analyzed for the estimation of available wind energy for water pumping
at three selected locations in Northern Nigeria, namely Jos, Kano and Sokoto. This formed the basis for
investigating the economics of the use of an imported small wind pump under a deregulated energy market
environment. The estimated available energy for water pumping at the installation height of 9m was 190
kwh/m2
/yr for Jos, 225 kwh/m2
/yr for Kano and 348 kwh/m2
/yr for Sokoto. The monetary value of the available
wind energy was considered as saved energy cost. The saved cost was obtained in terms of the unsubsidized cost
of the petrol and diesel that an internal combustion engine (ICE) would consume to produce energy equivalent to
the available wind energy. At the prevailing interest and inflation rates of 21.96 % and 12.1% respectively, and
unsubsidized prices of N 131.32/l and N 140.23/l for petrol and diesel respectively, investment in the wind pump
was not found to be economically competitive relative to using a pump with ICE prime mover at the three
locations unless the cost of the pump was subsidized. For Sokoto, the estimated subsidy for initial cost of the
wind pump required for the investment to be competitive relative to the use of a pump driven by a petrol ICE
was 16%. Relative to a pump driven by a diesel ICE, the required subsidy was 24%. The corresponding subsidy
estimates for Kano were 48 % and 51 % respectively. For Jos, it was 56% relative to the use of a pump driven by
a petrol ICE and 60 % relative to that driven by a diesel ICE. Considering the potential environmental and social
and environmental benefits however, subsidy support by government for local manufacturing of the pumps was
recommended since shipping cost and custom tariff constituted over 36% of the initial cost of the wind pump.