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Tag: Electricity

  • Real reason NERC hiked electricity tariff from N66/kwh to N225/kwh

    Real reason NERC hiked electricity tariff from N66/kwh to N225/kwh

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said the newly approved tariff is expected to reduce electricity subsidies for the 2024 fiscal year by about N1.14 trillion.

    Mr Musliu Oseni, the Vice Chairman, NERC said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

    ”With the newly approved tariffs, subsidies for the 2024 fiscal year are expected to reduce by about NGN1.14 trillion in furtherance of the Federal Government’s realignment of the subsidy regime.”’he said.

    Recall NERC had earlier on Wednesday announced increase in electricity tariff from N66/kwh to N225/kwh for those who enjoy electricity supply for 20 hours per day.

    What the tariff hike from N68/KWh to N225/kWh means is that a consumer who uses 100 units of electricity monthly, and have been spending N6,800 previously, will now be spending N22,500 monthly for the same units of electricity.

    NERC had explained that the tariff hike was only applicable to electricity consumers in Band A and that other customers in Bands B, C and D are not affected by the increase.

    The commission also said that some customers on the Band A to Band B were downgraded due to the non-fulfillment of the required hours of electricity provided by the electricity distribution company.

    Oseni said that the Federal Government had indicated a transition in policy direction towards introducing a more targeted subsidy regime aimed at mitigating the impact of changes in macroeconomic parameters

    ”While largely protecting vulnerable customers and fostering investments targeted at providing efficient service delivery in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” he said.

    According to him, the commission conducted a thorough review of the tariff applications submitted by the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in line with the processes established in its regulations and business Rules.

    He said that the review process was preceded by an analysis of the performance improvement plans of the licences and included a public hearing during which interested stakeholders and intervenors examined the rate filing submitted by the public utilities.

    ”The overarching objective of the commission in the consideration of the tariff application is the creation of a financially sustainable electricity market providing adequate and reliable power supply to drive the Nigerian economy.

    ”The commission, upon due consideration of the tariff applications, has approved revised rates affecting only customers classified under Band Serv category which is about 15 per cent of the customer population,”he said.

    Oseni said that empirical service data had confirmed that this class of customers had truly received the committed level of service.

    He said that under the revised tariff order issued by the NERC, DisCos were under an obligation to provide customers classified under Band A service category a minimum average supply of 20 hours a day measured over a period of one week.

    ”All other customers under B to E service category and representing 85 per cent of customers population will not be affected by the current review of end-users tariffs.

    ”All DisCos have been provided with mandatory targets for investments and migration of more customers to B.

    ”The commission has established a robust monitoring framework leveraging on technology to ensure that the public has visibility of the service covenant with their service providers,”he said.

    Oseni said that an enforcement and compensation mechanism had also been established in the event of service failure.

    ”We wish to assure all Nigerians that the commission  working in collaboration with the policymakers remains committed towards providing adequate and reliable electricity to all citizens.

    ”This is as we work diligently with state governments to deliver on the gains of the Electricity Act 2023.,”he said.

  • Senior civil servants bemoan electricity tariff hike

    Senior civil servants bemoan electricity tariff hike

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has bemoaned the hike in electricity tariff in the country.

    Mr Etim Okon, National President of ASCSN, said this while reacting to the new increase in tariff with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Recall that the Federal Government on April 3, announced the new increase in electricity tariff.

    Okon described the new policy as a “misplacement of priority, anti-people policy and unacceptable”.

    According to him, the hike in the electricity tariff from N66/kwh to N225/kwh for those who enjoy electricity supply for 20 hours per day is totally unacceptable and a recipe for unrest.

    “This shows clearly that Nigeria is not ready for 24 hours electricity supply.

    “I think that the policy is not right especially at this time of socioeconomic challenges where the cost of living is very exorbitant and the salary of the workers remained static.

    “Today, we are still battling with the fuel subsidy removal without any corresponding remedy and yet the increase in the electricity tariff without even the supply of electricity,” he said.

    He said the federal government was prioritising revenue generation over the welfare of Nigerians who are currently struggling to survive.

    He noted that government, in the announcement, had said that the planned hike in electricity tariff would ensure at least 20 hours of power supply.

    Okon, therefore, advised government to find ways of stabilising the economy before thinking of how to generate more revenue through taxation.

    He urged the government to reconsider its stance and reverse to the old tariff

    “If the labour union calls for protest, government will say we are being insensitive but without consultation they just woke up and announced increase in price of electricity.

    “No worker now can boast of anything with N30,000 minimum wage.

    “The calculation on ground and the high cost of living have already consumed everything before they even make the announcement so where are we going from here.

    “Government must reverse to the former tariff and allow the economy to have some level of stability,” he said.

  • UPDATE: NERC provides details on electricity tariff hike from N68/KWh to N225/kWh

    UPDATE: NERC provides details on electricity tariff hike from N68/KWh to N225/kWh

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says the increase in tariff will only affect customers enjoying 20 hour power supply across the country.

    The commission said that other customers in Bands B, C and D are not affected by the increase.

    Mr Musliu Oseni, Vice Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said this at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

    According to him, the commission has approved the increase in electricity tariff paid by Band A customers from N68/KWh to N225/KWh adding that the increase will not affect customers on bands B and C.

    Oseni said that the increase only affect about 15 per cent electricity consumers that have been proven to enjoy 20 hours power supply daily.

    He said that other electricity customers not affected by the rate review would not be neglected as they would still continue to get service.

    The vice chairman said that the commission had also downgraded some customers on the Band A to Band B due to the non-fulfillment of the required hours of electricity provided by the electricity distribution company.

    “We currently have over 800 feeders that are categorised as Band A, but it will now be reduced to under 500. This means that 17 per cent of the feeder now qualifies as Band A.

    “The commission using technology discovered that many of the feeders that the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) currently brandish as Band A are not meeting the required service and as such.

    “The feeders were ordered to be downgraded immediately as a way of protecting consumers,” he said.

    Oseni said that customers hitherto classified as Band A customers would not be affected by the rate review.

    He said that as part of enforcement mechanisms  to ensure that  areas affected by the review get the 20 hours supply,  DisCos have been mandated to set up rapid response teams in locations where the feeders are located.

    “This is to ensure that the customers can have access to the DisCos.

    “They have also been mandated to publish the contact of the rapid response team where the customers are located.

    “Failure to meet the commitment for seven consecutive days, the feeder will be downgraded immediately to the service level the DisCos is able to provide electricity to the feeder,” he said.

    Oseni said where a DisCo  failed to meet the commitment for two days by the third day at 10am, the company must publish an explanation also via bulk SMS contacting the affected consumers on the feeder.

    “They should explain why they could not meet the service for the two days and  also submit the explanation to the commission,” he said.

  • BREAKING: FG moves hardship to fresh level increases electricity tariff

    BREAKING: FG moves hardship to fresh level increases electricity tariff

    Hardship to move up the ladder as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has given the go-ahead to raise the electricity rates for customers in the Band A category. During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Vice Chairman of NERC, Musliu Oseni, announced that there will be a rise in electricity tariffs.

    This adjustment will result in customers paying N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the current rate of N66.

    “We currently have 800 feeders that are categorised as Band A, but it will now be reduced to under 500. This means that 17 percent now qualify as Band A feeders. These feeders only service 15 percent of total electricity customers connected to the feeders.

    Details shortly…

  • Electricity consumers increase to 12.12m – NBS

    Electricity consumers increase to 12.12m – NBS

    The number of electricity consumers rose by 410,000 from 11.71 million in the third quarter of 2023 to 12.12 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated in its Electricity Report for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 released in Abuja on Monday, that the increase was by 3.46 per cent.

    The review focuses on energy billed, revenue generated, and customers by DISCOS under the reviewed period.

    It stated that on a year-on-year basis, the number of electricity customers increased by 9.59 per cent in Q4 2023 from 11.06 million reported in Q4 2022.

    It said in Q4 2023, the number of metered customers stood at 5.61 million compared with the 5.68 million recorded in Q3 2023, this indicated a 1.32 per cent decrease.

    “On a year-on-year basis, the figure grew by 9.38 per cent from the 5.13 million reported in Q4 2022,” the NBS stated.

    Similarly, estimated electricity customers stood at 5.83 million in Q4 2023, showing a decrease of 3.34 per cent over the 6.03 million recorded in Q3 2023.

    “On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers decreased by 1.73 per cent in Q4 2023 from the 5.93 million recorded in Q4 2022. ”

    The NBS also said that electricity distribution companies collected N294.95 billion in revenue in Q4 2023 compared with the N260.16 billion they collected in Q3 2023 .

    It added that on a year-on-year basis, revenue collected rose by 26.96 per cent over the N232.32 billion collected in the fourth quarter of 2022.

    It stated that electricity supply was 6,432 (Gwh) in the fourth quarter of 2023 from 5,732 (Gwh) recorded in the third quarter of the year.

    However, the report said on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply increased by 14.64 per cent in Q4 2023 compared with the 5,611 (Gwh) reported in the Q4 2022.

  • The States and the Blackout Nation – By Dakuku Peterside

    The States and the Blackout Nation – By Dakuku Peterside

    Many Nigerians believe that restructuring the country or devolving powers from the centre to the sub-nationals is the silver bullet that will solve all our problems. This belief has sustained the debate for or against restructuring for decades. As fanciful as this claim is, I disagree with this position because bad leadership is a more significant challenge than the superstructure of the country. Although the way Nigeria is structured does not make for optimal productivity and needs some form of amendment or tinkering, we need thinking and honest leadership to make progress. This kind of leadership is required at the central and sub-national levels.

    One area in which sub-nationals or states of the federation would take advantage of to show that a restructured Nigeria can be an oasis of development is electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. This is because of the multiplier effect of electricity on quality of life, productivity, employment generation, and human development. The recent epidemic of blackouts that has enveloped the nation due to the collapse of the national grid and frequent power outages have challenged the proposition that if power is devolved to the sub-nationals or states, most, if not all, of our problems would be solved. It has also brought to the fore the need for state governments to step up their game. A quick review of how a change in the 1999 constitutional provision and a new electricity act has necessitated a change in the role of state governments in electric power sufficiency is essential for clarity.

    Electricity has always been on the concurrent legislative list. It was so under the 1963 and 1979 constitutions. However, the 1999 provisions on the concurrent federal and state legislative powers over electricity were drafted in a way that made it impossible for states to make laws to establish their electricity markets and play a pivotal role in addressing power shortages that have literarily crippled our economic growth. Eventually, in 2023, the National and State assemblies came together to amend the 1999 constitution and remove the constraints that challenged enacting state laws on electricity. This was followed up by enacting a new Electricity Act, 2023, which allowed states to regulate electricity generation, transmission, and distribution businesses within their territories. The act created two electricity markets, the national and state markets. The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) from Abuja will regulate the national electricity market, while the states are expected to implement electricity market policies, legal frameworks, and institutions to regulate their respective state electricity markets.

    One takeaway from the current state of the anaemic electricity supply nationwide is that states cannot continue to wait for the federal government alone to resolve the challenge. The states now have the full constitutional authority to create the frameworks for the adequate electricity supply to their citizens. They now have the power to create the right environment to attract investment into this new electricity market and ultimately raise the national power-generating capacity from the embarrassing levels at which it is currently. The current situation where the country generates less than 4,000 MW of electricity for 220 million people, but the same people own and operate over 50,000 MW of self-generation or generator capacity, makes us appear unserious. Despite this 50,000mw self-generation, we still have epileptic power nationally, producing sub-optimally and far less than our potential. The epidemic of blackouts that has enveloped the nation in the past few weeks has challenged the proposition that if power is devolved to the sub-nationals or states, most, if not all, our problems would be solved.

    I will share my thoughts on why most state governments are not taking advantage of the new Electricity Act and should double their effort to get us out of this perennial descent into a permanent state of darkness. This is against the background of the abundance of gas in south-south and southeast states, massive potential for hydro in Southwest states and solar generation in the northern states. The significant reasons states fail to tackle the electricity problem and unleash economic growth in their states are fourfold: first, a lack of understanding of the need for and political will to fix the power problem from a state perspective. State governors prefer short-term infrastructure projects that give them political mileage and are transactional. The myth that electricity is the centre’s problem has shaped state leaders’ thinking for too long. The second is the lack of qualified and competent human resources to drive policy and serve as regulators. Even the national regulator, NERC, had this problem in 2006 when they started, which is still so today. The third is the problem of implementation and enforcement of policies, laws, and agreements in the long term. Most investors have had to contend with violations of the sanctity of contracts and policy inconsistencies at the state and federal levels. The fourth reason is that states need more investment in technology and network infrastructure for electrification projects and for the ecosystem to become attractive to potential investors.

    Despite these challenges, there is some silver linings in this dark cloud. Recently, I had a long engagement with the governor of Enugu state around power. Enugu state has taken the bull by the horns and has not only enacted its state policy and law but has already set up its regulatory body comprising experienced hands who have experience working in NERC, discos, or industry consulting firms. The Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission is now on the verge of issuing its first licenses to private investors. There is no doubt that Enugu is on the path to energy self-sufficiency, which will, in turn, unleash her economic growth potential. States like Lagos, Oyo and Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Anambra, Abia, Rivers, Taraba, and Plateau, where there is a significant advantage in terms of availability of commercial/industrial markets and availability of fuel sources such as natural gas, hydro and solar have no reason to be slow about following in Enugu state’s footsteps.

    The inference from the preceding is that both political devolution and electricity devolution require political will and an enabling economic environment. An economically unviable state will remain a nightmare as it cannot demand or pay for electricity. Industrial and commercial markets for power are a prerequisite for investment in the power sector. Investors will only come if the electricity market exists. In this regard, only 30% of our states can attract investors to the power sector. Nigeria has long struggled with electricity supply issues, leading to frequent blackouts nationwide. Several factors contribute to the current blackouts and power outages, the most reoccurring narratives being grid disruptions, failing distribution infrastructure and, topmost, short supply of gas due to debt and other commercial reasons.

    Therefore, the federal government still has a crucial role in the power sector to drive social and economic development on a national scale. It must create the right ecosystem to spur investment in electricity infrastructure, including building new power plants, upgrading existing ones, and expanding the transmission and distribution networks. This requires both public and private sector involvement, as well as partnerships with international organizations and investors. It must champion the diversification of energy sources, especially renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, which provide a more sustainable and reliable electricity supply.

    The current state of the anaemic electricity supply in Nigeria, as experienced in the blackouts of the past few weeks, calls for a new approach. Nigeria’s blackout problem is not just a technical issue but a combination of human capacity challenges and systemic inefficiencies requiring urgent and comprehensive solutions. The flickering lights of Nigeria are a stark reminder of the urgent need for visionary leadership at the federal and state levels in the energy sector. We must never forget that blackouts are not just inconvenient interruptions; they’re crippling barriers to progress and development.

    The current national blackout should be a wake-up call for states of the federation to wake up from their complacency and speed up the process of playing a pivotal role in energy sufficiency. State governments must avail themselves of the incredible opportunity the new Electricity Act provided them and at least provide the building blocks to electricity sufficiency and efficiency in the states.

  • Electricity supply will improve within 6 months – Minister

    Electricity supply will improve within 6 months – Minister

    The Minster of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that the ongoing power upgrade and investment in power sector would improve electricity supply within the next three to six months.

    Adelabu gave the assurance during a working visit to some ongoing projects in Maryland and Alausa substations on Thursday in Lagos.

    Adelabu visited Ikeja Electric and other ongoing projects in Lagos metropolis.

    He disclosed that upgrading some substations in Lagos by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had commenced on 30MVA transformers to 100 MVA and 205 MVA in Maryland and Alausa, respectively.

    The minister maintained that the Federal Government’s position on the implementation of a cost reflective tariff for the power sector was inevitable.

    He said that investment across Distribution Companies (DisCos) was low due to the unavailability of funds to carry out infrastructure upgrades, appealing to the companies to ensure good service delivery to justify tariff review.

    He said the ministry would do all it could to ensure that DisCos up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”

    Adelabu bemoaned the rising cases of vandalism of power assets across the country, recommending capital punishment for vandals.

    He labelled vandals of power assets as “killers of people and saboteurs of business growth”.

    “We need scapegoats. We are ready to give them the right punishment in terms of prosecution.

    “Punishment for vandals should go beyond six months jail term. Capital punishment should be meted out for power vandals. They kill people, and they kill businesses,” he said.

    Adelabu added that all hands must be on deck among operators within the power sector value chain.

    He said it remained worrisome that the country with an installed capacity of 13,000MW was generating a paltry 5,000MW.

    The minister said the government to further advance his strategy of overcoming the present impasse, Adelabu pledged to change his master plan from top-to-bottom approach to bottom-to-top.

    ”Going forward, efforts will now be concentrated on development and infrastructure upgrade from DisCos to GenCos and then transmission.

    “If we get it right at the DisCo level, then we are most certain that we are almost getting there. The meeting is planned, not accidental. You have made landmark achievements in the last 10 years.

    “You have done well in relation to other DisCos. We can just shake your hands and leave, but they said the biggest room is the room for improvement.

    “You are a model DisCo, the biggest in terms of revenue collection. I don’t know the one that is bigger between you and Ibadan DisCo, in terms of industrial clusters, because I am aware there are a lot of industries within your catchment areas,” he said.

    Adelabu urged Nigerians to continue contributing positively to the growth of the country in spite of the current economic challenges.

    “It is a bad time for the country. I mean, if you look at the hardship in terms of commodities and prices, these have affected the purchasing power of a lot of people.

    “I believe that this is the time for all of us to wake up and do things well for the country.

    “Though, I am bothered about what is happening, but I am not discouraged.

    “This is the time that you (DisCos) should work hard with us to get desired improvements in power supply to people and businesses,” he added.

    He urged DisCos to work closely with the government to expedite national development through a sustainable power sector for reliable and cost-effective sustainable power supply.

    Earlier in her address, the Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mrs Folake Soetan, while reeling out some of the giant strides recorded by the company, said that the company had achieved a lot in terms of infrastructure upgrades and capital expenditure.

    Soetan said that the company’s total CAPEX in 2015 was N5 billion but grew to N50.58 billion in 2023.

    She added that average revenue collection in 2015 was N3.75 billion and grew to N18.22 billion as at 2023.

    On metering, she said 30,000 meters were deployed to consumers as at 2015, while the figure hit 800,000 as at 2023.

    Soetan lamented that revenue collection in the industry was largely hampered by the huge metering gap and non-payment of bills.

    She worried that meter bypass and energy theft contributed immensely to the losses recorded by DisCos.

    The Ikeja Electric boss said power generating capacity was still significantly lower than the demand for electricity.

    This she noted that had resulted in frequent power outages and load shedding.

  • FG addresses power deficit using alternative sources

    FG addresses power deficit using alternative sources

    The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu says the Federal Government is addressing  power deficit by using alternative energy sources, such as windfall, solar and mini-grids.

    Adelabu, represented by Mr Abdulrasheed Lawal, Director Procurement, Ministry of Power said this in Abuja on Wednesday at the  presentation of  the proposed 30 Megawatts (MW) Windfall And Solar Hybrid Project at Lekki, Lagos.

    The project after necessary appraisal would be executed by Crown Resources Development Company Limited (CREDCO) in collaboration with Vergnet a French Wind Turbine Company, based in France.

    He said,” We are aware that presently there is energy deficit in the country, so we are doing everything possible to address the issue by investing in alternative sources.

    ”We have to think out of the box to achieve energy sufficiency; we have to look at using mini-grids, solar and wind to achieve this.

    ”We are already doing 10MW using Windfall in Katsina and we are trying to replicate same in Lagos in order to ensure reliable and steady power supply in the country,”he said.

    On his part, Mr Barney Ojiah, Chief Executive Officer of CREDCO, said that they were in the ministry of power to make a presentation on the project and to discuss how to further improve power supply for Nigerians.

    He emphasised that power was important in the lives of all Nigerians no matter how it comes.

    ”This is a collaborative effort between the ministry of power and CREDCO on how to achieve reliable and steady power supply,”he said.

    Also, Mr Frederic Cheve, Subsidiaries Manager, Africa, Vergnet while making his presentation said that the project was a renewable and innovative solution to Lagos energy need.

    According to him, the project aims to harness the abundant wind and solar resources to generate clean and reliable power while mitigating the risks associated with relying on a single source of energy.

    He said that the proposed capacity of the project was 20/30 megawatts wind and solar hybridised system.

    Cheve, who said the project would be developed in phases, added it would have a number of significant benefits for Lagos and the country.

    He listed the benefits to include improved energy security and grid stability.

    ”It will create green jobs and boost the local economy, reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and curtail greenhouse gas emissions.

    ”This project will contribute to achieving Nigeria’s national energy goals,”he said.

    Cheve further said the project aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Power initiative (PPI) which aimed to add 12,000 MW of electricity to the national grid and to provide 24 hours electricity for Nigerians.

    ”The project is in line with the renewable energy plan that is based on Nigeria’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2060,”he said.

  • Why Nigeria is not able to generate enough electricity – Minister

    Why Nigeria is not able to generate enough electricity – Minister

    The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu has again attributed the inability of Nigeria to generate enough electricity to low or shortage in gas supply.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Adelabu said this in Abuja on Monday while meeting with the Heads of Power Agencies and other stakeholders in the industry.

    The Minister disclosed federal government plans to increase electricity megawatts from 4000 to 6000 within the next three to six months to improve power supply.

    Adelabu said that he had visited a number of generation companies and confirmed that they had the installed capacity to generate the 6000 megawatts.

    According to him, a large percentage of the installed capacity is operational, but they are not available because of low or shortage in gas supply.

    “4000 megawatts is not acceptable and we have plans to increase the megawatts to a minimum of 6000 to 6500 within the next three to six months.

    ”What we are looking at is to have an agreement to ramp up to a minimum of 6000 megawatts within the next three to six months.

    ”I know that the highest we ever generated was 5,700 megawatts about three years ago, that was specifically in Nov. 2021.

    ”And these 5700 megawatts were also distributed. If we could achieve 5,700 at that time, I believe we still have infrastructure to generate between 6,000 and 6,500.

    ”Once there is gas supply, we want to ramp up generation to minimum 6,000 megawatts,” Adelabu said.

    The minister said that he received information about a couple of improvements in the sector but that is not still acceptable until there is a quantum leap in terms of stable electricity supply.

    “We need to do what we need to do to get the power sector to the desired level. Nigerians deserve the right to ask for good governance from people that are elected to power.

    “They deserve the right to ask for improvement in service. People cannot be paying for darkness. What they should be paying for is light. And there should be consistent improvement in supply on a daily basis.

    “So, I also want to use the opportunity to reassure Nigerians that what we are experiencing is temporary. We are addressing the root cause of all these issues.

    The minister said that the ministry of power and the agencies under it are working day and night to ensure that the situation is reversed within a very short time.

    He said the ministry and its agencies would not relent until stable power is achieved adding that the meeting was called to address the issues in the power sector.

    Adelabu said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to addressing the root cause of the issues and address them so that there can be consistent electricity supply to consumers.

    “This is the only way, we can guarantee good life for our people and increase industrialisation, employment, economic growth, and industrial development.

    “It is true that the Electricity Distribution Companies are in the hands of private sectors. We do not have direct control but we need to compel them to perform.

    “They must perform. If they do not perform, all our efforts in generation, transmission is zero. I had a meeting with the Chairman of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on how to address DisCos performance,’’ he said.

    Adelabu recommends capital punishment for vandals of power infrastructure

    Reacting to the frequent vandalism of power infrastructure, the Minister of Power, recommended capital punishment for vandals and theft of power infrastructure.

    Adelabu said the issue of power infrastructure vandalisation and theft was one of the pains the sector is going through.

    ”The ministry of power and agencies under it is pushing capital punishment for those involved in vandalisation and power thefts of all forms.

    ”Capital punishment is not too much because they are gradually killing the nation. They are killing the economy. They are killing the people.

    “Vandals are getting too many comfort all over; transmission and distribution power assets.

    “This is not only frustrating our efforts to achieve uninterrupted power supply, it is driving the nation backward,” he said.

    Adelabu said that Nigerians must realise that these assets belong to them, so they must jealousy protect them, adding that it was the taxpayers’ money that was used to acquire them.

    He said the ministry of power was collaborating with the office of the National Security Adviser and security agencies to protect them as it cost a lot of money to replace them when damaged.

    The minister said that the ministry was also collaborating with states to have their protection framework to protect the infrastructure.

    According to him, the Federal Government is also tryimg  to provide at least two million meters on a yearly basis.

    “So that in four to five years, the huge meter gap will disappear or significantly reduce..

    He said that there was already a presidential metering initiative that was working on the  metering gap.

    ”We already have a seed fund of N75 billion to start working. And we are also going to have some debt injection from the Nigerian Sovereign Investments Authority to complement the fund.

    ”There is even a possibility of increasing the fund to a ₦100 billion. We have a planned intervention to reduce the meter gap. But the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) must also sit up.

    ”We need to interrogate their metering plans and give them the minimum target they must achieve in a year,” he said.

    The minister said that as the meter gap wass being  reduced, there  were new connections as new  communities were connected to the grd so we need to be aggressive on this.

  • Why residents of Abuja, Benin, PH, Ibadan are suffering from epileptic power supply

    Why residents of Abuja, Benin, PH, Ibadan are suffering from epileptic power supply

    Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has given insights as to why residents of Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan are currently suffering from epileptic power supply.

    As a result, the Minister has summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to an emergency meeting.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Adelabu as saying efforts had been made to improve electricity supply in the aforementioned cities but that it is disheartening that power supply continue to deteriorate.

    The Minister of Power disclosed that his ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW.

    He said despite the progress made, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while acknowledging that vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in the regions.

    While urging electricity consumers to remain patient with the present epileptic power supply, Adelabu said plans are underway to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies.

    In a statement released via his official Facebook page, Adelabu wrote:

    “As the Minister of Power, I am deeply concerned about the deteriorating electricity supply across the country.

    “In response to this pressing issue, I have summoned the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), as well as the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to a crucial meeting.

    “The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the worsening power supply in their respective regions and to collectively find lasting solutions.

    “It is disheartening to witness the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation.

    “The Ministry has been exerting pressure on the Generating Companies (GENCOs) to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4000MW.

    “Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.

    “Moving forward, I am committed to holding all distribution companies accountable for their performance. Willful non-performance will not be tolerated, and severe consequences, including license revocation, may be imposed.

    “Additionally, I have instructed TCN to prioritize repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in affected regions.

    “During recent supervisory visits to power generating plants, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by the sector.

    “Plans are underway to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, which will alleviate the financial strain and contribute to improved generation levels nationwide.

    “I urge electricity consumers to remain patient as we work tirelessly to address these issues and provide better service to all Nigerians”.