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Tag: Electricity

  • Nigerians slam Dee-One over joke on electricity

    Nigerians on social media have slammed ex BBNaija housemate, Dee-one over his video on electricity.

    In the video, Dee-One noted that Nigerians don’t need constant electricity, adding that once electricity is available for two hours, its enough.

    He said:”The Federal Government is teaching us time management because if they give us light for 2 hours during the day, we will waste it and it makes sense to me”.

     

     

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BquoIjlBWPm/

     

     

    Ifu Ennada, Dee-One at war

     

    Read Nigerians reactions below

     

     

  • P/Harcourt disco urges FG, states to pay N10.2bn electricity debt

    The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) has urged both the Federal and State Governments to pay the N10.2 billion electricity bill they owed the company.

    A statement issued by PHED’s Manager of Corporate Communication, Mr John Onyi, on Monday in Port Harcourt quoted the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Naveen Kapoor as demanding the payment of the debt.

    It said Kapoor made the appeal when officials of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) visited PHED’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

    “PHED is dissatisfied over non-payment of electricity bills owed by various categories of customers that amount to over N138.5 billion as at the close of business in July 2018.

    “Out of this figure, the Federal and states Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are indebted to PHED to the tune of over N10.2 billion.

    “Our premium customers, otherwise known as Maximum Demand and Non-Maximum Demand, who are mostly residential customers are owing N13.7 billion and N115.2 billion, respectively,” he said.

    Kapoor said aside the debt; the company was losing over N3 billion annually through diversion of electricity and outright meter bypass by some customers.

    He said the company was also worried over the attitude of some customers, who erroneously believed and insisted that electricity was free for those who hailed from oil producing areas.

    According to him, non-cost reflective tariff, non-implementation of minor tariff review and regulatory uncertainties in the industry had affected the company’s revenue and operations.

    “If this trend continues unabated, it would further plunge the company into serious financial difficulties. It is a known fact that non-payment in any business is a killer.

    “We appeal to NACCIMA to use its good offices in the various ministries to influence the federal government in settling the prolonged outstanding MDAs debt.

    “We also appeal to our Maximum Demand customers to pay their bills as at when due. Making these payments will enable the company to invest more in its network,” he told NACCIMA.

    Kapoor said in spite of challenges, the company had installed over 300,000 electric meters to homes and workplaces in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers and Rivers states.

    The PHED boss said the company had also installed 23 “critical feeders” spread across the four states of its operations to improve electricity supply chain to industries.

    “Additionally, the company has started enumerating its customer’s database as part of plans to end estimated billing of customers and improve service delivery,” he added.

    The National President of NACCIMA, Mrs Iyalode Lawanson said the association would work with PHED to enable the company improve its service delivery to customers.

    “We are partners in progress, and as such, we are here to show solidarity with PHED for partnering NACCIMA.

    “In unity lies strength, and so, all hands must be on deck either in the private sector or public sector,” she said.

     

  • PHCN: Electricity investors declare loss, 5 years after privatisation

    About five years after investors put $1.2 billion (about N427bn) to acquire 60 per cent stakes in 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in 2013, they say they are yet to recover the investments or make profit.

    The investors disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a joint briefing by the Association of Electricity Distributors and Investors and the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED).

    The Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at ANED, Chief Sunday Oduntan said, “DisCo investors, who paid $1.4bn (about N427bn) for the distribution assets have not made any return on their investments, a condition which was the basis of the investment after a five-year performance period.”

    He revealed a N1.3 trillion market shortfall in the DisCos’ financial books that hindered their performance on improved metering, customer service and increased customer connections.

    The DisCos’ operators also decried wrong investments by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in cities instead of unconnected rural areas using the $350m World Bank fund that could have addressed deficit in the electricity market.

    “Additionally, N78bn has been put in the budget for “distribution” projects to be implemented by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Categorically, until the tariff gap is addressed by the government, we do not see a pathway to meeting both commitments,” they said.

    Chairman of Aura Energy Company (AURA), the core investor in Jos DisCo, Alhaji Tukur Modibbo, who spoke for the investors said the firms have not gotten any return on their investments.

    Modibbo said the labour crisis during the peak of the privatisation in 2013 hindered the potential investors from doing a technical due diligence of the assets before they made payment to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

    He said: “I was part of the team; we had to rely on records given to us by BPE. I can tell you that the records were not accurate as there was no technical audit or a financial audit of the firms when they were under PHCN.”

    The investors said they found that the estimated Aggregate Technical, Collection and Commercial (ATC&C) losses, customer enumeration and metering requirement by BPE were wrong, coupled with huge old legacy debts which the DisCos took from the N213bn CBN loan which they are paying interest for.

    Modibbo said the investors would want to meet with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on the issue of service improvement. “We have invested much in the utility but we have not recorded any gain,” the added.

    The investors said they are ready to quit if government would refund their acquisition investments as they have declared a force majeure twice, a condition for their refund with the Federal Government refusing to accept their quit notice.

  • Improve electricity supply to Nigerians or quit, Fashola tells DisCos

    Improve electricity supply to Nigerians or quit, Fashola tells DisCos

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Monday directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to immediately step in to ensure that Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) improve on their distribution equipment and increase capacity to enable them optimize the use of electrical resources by the Generation Companies (GenCos).

    Fashola, who spoke at a press briefing on the “Power Sector State of Play, Next Steps and Policy Directives”, also directed NERC to enforce the contract of DisCos to supply meters and act to ensure the urgent speedy supply and installation of meters with a view to eliminating estimated billing and promote efficient industry and market structures.

    The minister, who said the improvement in their distribution equipment and increase in capacity would enable the DisCos take up the available 2,000MW difference between the generation capacity of the GenCos and the distribution capacity of the DisCos, also directed the regulatory commission to stop DisCos from threatening private entrepreneurs from entering the market to supply consumers whom they are unable to supply.

    Instead, according the minister, such entrepreneurs should be licensed by the commission subject to its terms and conditions “in order to promote competition and private sector participation and avoid a private monopoly of power”, adding that as clearly stated in Section 71(6) of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) dealing with Terms and Conditions of licenses, “no exclusivity or monopoly was intended for a license holder such as GenCos or DisCos.”

    The aforementioned section states that, “Unless expressly indicated in the license, the grant of a license shall not hinder or restrict the grant of a license to another person for a like purpose and, in the absence of such an express indication, the licensee shall not claim any exclusivity, provided that the commission may allow a licensed activity to be exclusive for all or part of the period of the license for a specific purpose, for a geographical area, or for some combination of the foregoing”.

    Noting that the regulatory commission has not issued any such exclusive license to any DisCo, Fashola declared, “If we take into consideration that, after five years of privatisation, there are still people and businesses who do not have power or enough power, common sense and public interest demands that we must not resist ordinary people, small businesses like shops and markets from seeking alternative sources of energy.”

    “The truth is that they already have these sources of alternative energy, in small petrol and diesel generators that cost them about N100 per kilowatt hour. If the DISCOs are not resisting the generator sellers who are contributing to pollution, what is the logic of resisting small entrepreneurs bringing mini gas plants to supply a market need,” the minister argued, pointing out that for now, the nation’s developmental needs could not wait “for businessmen who are not yet ready to serve”.

    Urging NERC “to act with dispatch,” Fashola said the stated policy statements were made in the national interest, public good, the need to support small businesses, provide access to power for ordinary people and increase productivity; adding, however, that although he was not unmindful of concerns about loss of market or customers by DISCOs, such concerns must be balanced against national interest and that with improvement in their businesses, they would be in a position to use their economies of scale of large volumes of power to buy out or out-price the small entrepreneurs.

    The minister implored members of the public who seek more information “to get a copy of EPSRA and read its simple provisions”, adding that the act confers extensive regulatory powers on NERC “including the power in Sections 73 and 74, to amend or cancel a license if the licensee is unable to discharge the duties and obligations imposed by the license.”

    Fashola also directed NBET, the bulk trader, to work with Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), to fashion out ways to ensure that the DisCos improve their collection remittance and also start to pay their debts saying this would help to promote stability in the Sector. “This business cannot progress if debtors do not pay their debts”, he said.

    Stating, however, that it is neither his intention nor that of government to take over the business of the DisCos, the minister declared, “On the contrary, it is government’s desire to see DISCOs thrive and flourish in a competitive environment”, adding, “In the period when they are not yet ready, willing, or able, life must go on and we must find solutions and substitutes as we have seen in other sectors”.

    Such sectors, he said, include the broadcasting, newspaper and telecommunication sectors where, according to him, “those who could not compete conceded and left the stage gloriously without breaking down the system”, while those who could compete have brought better living conditions to Nigerians.

    Saying that the policy directives should not be seen as anti-privatization, Fashola, who said they were meant to ginger all stakeholders to brace up to their responsibilities to serve the people, added, “I remain convinced that Privatisation is the way forward. Privatisation has brought us mega value in Broadcasting; it has brought us better value in Newspapers, Telecommunications and Banking and other sectors of our national life and I remain convinced that it will deliver in Power”.

    “This is not a time to trade blames, because there is enough to go round; rather it is a time to reiterate everybody’s responsibility and urge all of us to brace up, to do what we are obliged to do, which is to serve the people, he said, adding, “I suspect that these facts may appear like a red flag to the bulls of anti-privatisation, but I remain convinced that privatisation is the way forward”.

    Recalling that when the public complained about the tariff approved by NERC, he was the one that stood in the forefront of explaining to the public even though it was the Discos who collect the tariff, Mr Fashola declared, “In the face of this picture, where we have power to sell, with more to come, the number of complaints coming to Government for meters, which the DISCOs should supply, and for estimated billings, and mass disconnections when not everybody is owing, cannot continue”.

    “Government must act, and will do so. The DisCos bought these assets with their eyes opened, and they must compete to deliver or exit”, Fashola declared, adding that Small businesses who need very little power are not getting enough because the DisCos could not take the power to them.

    The minister expressed dismay that investment of GenCos was threatened because they could not utilise the capacity they have installed, adding that in order to improve service to small businesses, Government, acting through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), was linking Small Power Entrepreneurs with markets like Ariaria in Aba, Sabon Gari Market in Kano, and Sura Market in Lagos which, according to him, contain approximately 37,000, 13,000, and 1,047 shops respectively, which are being metered by the small entrepreneurs who have offered to replace the generators of traders with more efficient power and meters.

    According to the minister, there are 15 markets in all which if successfully implemented would provide power to 85,485 shops, empower 205,000 SMEs and create 2,000 jobs during the installation and after in operation and maintenance adding, “The DisCos are agitating that this should not happen, yet they offer no solution.”

    On what government has been doing to assist the DisCos and other operators to deliver power, Mr Fashola said as facilitator of business and enabler of the private Sector, government had, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, made available the sum of N213 billion to the power sector at a concessionary interest rate, below market rate, to GenCos and DisCos adding, however, that some DisCos had shied away from taking the facility.

    According to him, “probably because of the source of fund conditions, such as opening of letters of credit attached to the performance, some DisCos have not taken the money”, adding that currently NERC detected “an unauthorized use of money by the Ibadan DisCo” and was now taking some remedial measures.

    The minister said government has also responded to claims of debts owed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to DisCos before the present administration, a debt which, he said, “was alleged to be in the region of over N70 billion adding that at the cost to government, “several hundreds of thousands of bills, amounting to about 450,000 bills, were verified” while government has ascertained that N27 billion was owed by Federal MDAs to DisCos.

    Prior to the tenure of this administration, he said, GenCos and Gas suppliers who produce power, were being underpaid by NBET because the DisCos were under collecting or under-remitting such that GenCos were getting only about 20 per cent of their invoices from Power adding that Government intervened and created N701 Billion Payment Assurance Guarantee (PAG) to NBET to ensure that payment to GenCos improved.

    Payment of invoices, according to Mr Fashola, has now increased from 20 to 80 per cent “in the hope that if we move production, DisCos will collect and remit”. He expressed regrets, however, that his office still receives daily reports by mail, letters and e-mails of exorbitant bills by DisCos to Consumers without meters while the remittance by DisCos to NBET has not increased resulting in NBET owing the GenCos N325.7 billion, a debt which he was certain could be settled if NBET could collect what DisCos are currently owing it.

    Also, in order to assist in the evacuation of 2,000MW, the difference between what the GenCos can produce and the DisCos can distribute, Fashola said the DisCos were asked to submit their transformer and other equipment requirements adding that, as part shareholders, government has committed to invest N76 billion for the procurement of equipment and installation to help the DisCos evacuate the 2,000 MW to consumers.

    Other inputs by government, he said, include settling an inherited court case and making available N37 billion to Meter Asset Providers (MAPs), under the regulations made by NERC to license meter investors, “to help supply meters that the DisCos are under contract to supply but are yet unable to do so”, adding that the gesture was in order to bridge he metering gap and to promote harmonious relationship and reduced friction between the DisCos and their MAPs.

    Progress, the minister said, have also been recorded in the sector between 2015 and 2018 including improvement in the generation of power from 4,000 MW (approx) in 2015 to 7,000 MW (approx) in 2018 averaging an increase of 1,000 MW (approx) per annum adding that additional 455 MW (Azura); 215 megawatts (Kaduna), 240 MW (Afam III); 40 MW (Kashimbilla); almost totaling 954 MW would be added this year while 700 MW (Zungeru), 480 MW (Okpai II) about 1,150 MW are projected for 2019, even as the GENCOs are undertaking various repairs, rehabilitation and expansion that would bring on incremental power.

    “Transmission has also increased from 5,000 MW (Approx) in 2015 to 7,124 MW (Approx) in December 2017 averaging 1,062 MW per annum increase in transmission capacity. TCN currently has about 90 Transmission projects in various stages of construction and many are to be completed this year”, Fashola said adding, “So, we can transport what the GENCOS generate and there is a Transmission Expansion plan 2018 to 2028 which Government is committed to implement”.

    The Minister said although distribution has increased from 2,690 MW (Approx) in 2015 to 5,222 MW (Approx) in 2018, averaging an increase of 844 MW per annum “because the DISCOS have also done some work”, adding that from 2016 when the DisCos complained about lack of enough power to distribute, the problem today was that the DisCos could not distribute all of the Power that was available, leaving the sector with an unused capacity of 2,000 MW (Approx), with the approximately 1,150 MW projected to come this year and 2019.

    In the robust question and answer session that followed, Fashola explained that all the solutions being applied to reform the power sector such as the Payment Assurance Guarantee, among others, were contained in the Power Sector Reform Programme (PSRP) which the his Ministry compiled urging stakeholders, including the Media, to read it for understanding.

    Also present at the event were the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing, Suleiman Zarma Hassan; Chairman NERC, James Momoh; and his Vice, Sanusi Garba; Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Usman Mohammed; Managing Director Rural Electrification Agency, Damilola Ogunbiyi; other Agency Heads, Directors and Special Advisers.

     

  • 2019: Atiku explains how he’ll fix electricity, fight insecurity, create jobs as President

    2019: Atiku explains how he’ll fix electricity, fight insecurity, create jobs as President

    Former Vice President and 2019 elections presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to fixed problems associated with electric power generation in Nigeria.

    The 2019 elections presidential aspirant made the vow and explained how he will go about fixing the persistent scourge when he was questioned on what he will do to fix electricity problem of the country.

    “We shall increase power generation by ensuring full participation of private sector. We shall issue licences to enable the private sector invest in mini-grid capabilities to service local communities or local govts, states, regions or target industrial clusters.

    “Our electricity generation plan shall be diversified to include clean energy (hydro, solar and nuclear) in addition to natural gas. As you may be aware, the transmission infrastructure of the power sector is ageing and in dire need of investment.

    “We shall provide incentives – including tax breaks to the private sector to invest in the development of multiple green field mini-grid transmission systems.

    “In the mean time we shall consider concessioning to private sector segments of the national grid under some form of PPP over a period of time,” Atiku stated.

    Addressing the issue of insecurity in the nation, he “On security, we must understand the root causes of the security challenges in the North. The full economic potentials of the region remains undeveloped resulting in high rates of youth unemployment, high levels of poverty and deprivation and income inequality”.

    “Access to education is more restricted, resulting in more out of school children in the North than anywhere else in Nigeria. Unless these issues are tackled, youth restiveness, sectarian violence and other acts of insurgency and terrorism shall continue to bedevil the region.

    “My first critical policy priority therefore is to support the northern states in rebuilding their economies and opening up economic opportunities for their citizens. This will reduce frustration and alienation and minimize grievances.

    “We shall same time undertake a comprehensive review of our security architecture & enhance its preparedness to meet challenges. As part of the review we shall commence the gradual process of instituting state police & community policing in line with principle of restructuring,” he added.

    On job creation, Atiku said, “as long as growth of the economy is driven by the oil sector, job creation is bound to suffer. To tackle the job and poverty challenges bedeviling the economy, we shall focus on four areas”.

    “First, we shall stimulate the growth of those economic sectors which are considered the domain of the poor – i.e Agriculture and Micro & Small Enterprises.

    “For the MSE sector, we shall set up a Venture Capital Fund to enhance their access to finance and hence their ability to grow and employ more hands.

    “Second, we shall set up a National Innovation Fund to support budding entrepreneurs, especially young men and women with brilliant ideas.

    “Thirdly, we shall promote a Special Apprenticeship Programme that will support training of up to 1,000,000 youth (including the NYSC) each year in diverse fields, by local master crafts persons. While they undergo the training, we shall match them with potential employers.

    “Fourth area of focus is the aggressive promotion of Nigeria as Africa’s leading business process outsourcing destination with potential to create two million direct and indirect jobs,” he stated.

    The presidential aspirant explained that his goal is to ensure that Nigeria fully explores the vast opportunities that abound in the global market for IT and IT-enabled services to create quality jobs for our youth.

    “Also, to lift our people out of poverty, we shall improve their access to basic services including education, health, electricity and water – by making these services not only available but affordable.

    “On currency, the only way the Naira will be more valuable is to apply a diversified structure for our economy. This way, our economy will become more productive. We are committed to revamping the non-oil sector through increased private sector investments.

    “We shall diversify our export base by providing export expansion incentives to manufacturers. Increasing our exports means increased foreign exchange earnings and stronger currency,” he said.

     

  • Shareholders commend Transcorp for improving access to electricity in Nigeria

    Shareholders commend Transcorp for improving access to electricity in Nigeria

    Shareholders of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) strongly commended the Board and management for Transcorp’s impressive contribution to transforming the Nigerian power sector, through its power subsidiary, Transcorp Power.

    The commendations were received at the 12th Annual General Meeting of Transcorp, held on April 30th, 2018, at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The shareholders were responding to Transcorp’s exceptional feat of increasing the available capacity of its power generation plant from 160MW, when acquired in 2013, to 701MW by November 2017, surpassing the demanding performance target of 670MW by August 2018, set for Transcorp by the Bureau for Public Enterprises in 2013.

    Through its consistent performance, Transcorp has led the power industry in delivering a sustained increase in available and generated capacity in Nigeria, consistently leading the power generation sector in Nigeria, in terms of capacity and with an impeccable health and safety record. T

    Transcorp continues to be the backbone for improved access to electricity across Nigeria, and this was emphasised by the National President, Association for the Advancement Rights Nigerian Shareholders, Dr. Faruk Umar, who expressed appreciation for the commendable performance of the company.

    Transcorp’s President/CEO, Adim Jibunoh, who thanked the shareholders for their continued support, informed them that beyond the company’s power sector strategy, Transcorp is aggressively pursuing the conclusion of its $100m upgrade of the Transcorp Hilton Abuja hotel, with a target of July 2018 for completion, while plans have been concluded for the development of Transcorp Hilton hotels in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

    Transcorp’s Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, CON, promised shareholders that the Board is committed more than ever before to ensure that Transcorp will continue to touch and transform lives. The Chairman informed shareholders of the Board’s commitment towards developing the company’s oil and gas assets, as well as optimizing the huge gas deposit in OPL 281, by constructing a 40 km gas pipeline for dedicated gas supply to Transcorp’s power plant at Ughelli.

    This, he noted, is part of the energy value-chain optimization strategy of Transcorp, which was directed at creating the leading infrastructure player in Nigeria, playing the dominant role in bridging Nigeria’s infrastructure and power deficits. Mr Elumelu said, “Our corporate ambition is nothing less than the transformation of Nigeria’s power sector, which in turn is the critical enabler of Nigeria’s broader economic transformation.”

  • Stop Discos from estimated billings, electricity consumers urge NASS

    Stop Discos from estimated billings, electricity consumers urge NASS

    Some electricity consumers have appealed to National Assembly to enact a law compelling electricity distribution companies(Discos) to install pre-paid meters for all customers to save consumers from estimated billing.

    They made the appeal in separate interviews with newsmen on Friday at a forum on arbitrary estimated billing organized by Association of Electricity Consumers Right in Lagos.

    Akin Badmus, Coordinator of the Association, urged the lawmakers to promulgate a law that would ban Discos from billing consumers on estimation.

    Badmus said that issues around estimated billing and non-availability of prepaid meters needed to be addressed to enable Nigerians enjoy the benefits of privatisation.

    According to him, most electricity consumers are struggling with the twin problems of estimated billing and poor services, four years after privatization.

    Badmus prayed the 8th Assembly to enact a bill that would criminalize estimated billings to electricity consumers and order Discos to install meters in every household.

    “Most Discos have refused to install meters that would determine the level of consumption of electricity consumers – a device that measure the amount of energy used by a resident and business owners,” he said.

    Another consumer, Mrs Felicia Dorothy, a resident of Ogba Housing Estate, urged the lawmakers to consider a review of the privatisation exercise so as to address concerns raised by consumers.

    Dorothy also appealed to the National Assembly to proscribe estimated billing used by Discos to shortchange consumers.

    “ The National Assembly should consider a bill seeking to amend the Power Sector Reform Act.

    “Every electricity consumer must be provided with a pre-paid meter, thus ending the regime of paying for power not consumed,’’ she said.

    Alhaji Sunmola Ojurongbe, Chairman, Ojokoro Housing Estate, said many artisans were being ripped off through over-billing and estimated billing.

    “It is unbearable for a welder to pay as much as N15, 000 when you hardly get uninterrupted supply each day.

    “I believe if functional pre-paid meters are installed, you only pay for what you use,’’ Ojurongbe said.

    Data obtained from Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) show that over three million or 45 per cent out of the 7.47 million consumers nationwide have prepaid meters.

  • Light bill: Reps move to curb excessive charges

    Light bill: Reps move to curb excessive charges

    The House of Representatives on Thursday said it would meet with Community Development Associations (CDAs) in different geo-political zones in the course of its Ad Hoc Committee assignment, to curb excessive electricity charges.

    Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ajibola Famurewa (Osun-APC), who made the assertion at the inaugural meeting of the committee, said excessive electricity charges were being levied on consumers by distribution companies (Discos).

    He said that majority of Nigerians were suffering under the arbitrary charges for electricity from the distribution companies.

    “The committee was given the mandate by the House to determine the differences between the prepaid meters installed by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the MOJEC prepaid meters by DISCOs.

    “It would also determine the costing algorithm used by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in arriving at the consumers’ price.

    “The committee is to ascertain the average cost of electricity in West African sub region vis-a-vis Nigeria.

    “Its mandate also include finding out why DISCOs have not complied with the deadline of March 1, 2017 in phasing out the estimated billing system.”

    According to him, relevant organisations and agencies to be investigated include Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the Central Bank of Nigeria , (CBN), the Consumer Protection Council, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NIBET) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

    Others are Electricity Distribution Companies of Nigeria (DISCOs), Nigeria Labour Congress, and Association of Nigerians Electricity Consumers among others.

    Famurewa said that there would be zonal interactive sessions with electricity consumers in a bid to understand the scope of the problem.

    According to him, the committee will try to meet the six weeks given as deadline by the House.

    This, he said, was to allow the House takes a timely decision on the issue to ease the suffering of the people.

     

  • Nigeria can generate, transmit over 7,000MW of electricity – Fashola

    Nigeria can generate, transmit over 7,000MW of electricity – Fashola

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola says that the country now has the capacity to generate not less than 7,000 Megawatts (MW) of electricity.

    Fashola, who was responding to questions on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, also said that transmission chain had also developed capacity to transmit the same megawatts.

    “Today we have the capacity to generate over 7,000MW, we can transmit also over 7,000 MW but we cannot distribute more than 5,200MW now.

    “So if there is no distribution demand, you don’t load on your 7,000 because your supply is informed by your demand.

    “But its there, so it is like goods that you keep in your warehouse, except that power you cannot store it.

    “So what we are actually doing is that some of the GENCOs that have a capacity to produce 100, control center is telling them put only 60.

    “So that is how we are managing it, because of the real demand at final end based on insufficient distribution capacity.”

    The minister who said the country was well over the problem of electricity generation however noted that the challenge was the issue of distribution.

    ‘’Today the March 14, the report I got was that yesterday’s peak energy was 4,822 for distribution, so we are well over that problem of supply, what we are now dealing with is a new problem of distribution.

    “Two years ago the distribution companies were saying they did not have enough power to sell, but today the story has changed.

    “It is not as painful as it was two years ago, people are now using their generators for a shorter periods, buying smaller quantities of fuel for the purposes to power their generator.

    “We are getting longer periods of energy supply, you will see on the diesel purchasing index that the country‘s total use of diesel is coming down,’’ the minister said.

     

  • Transmission Company of Nigeria bags ‘FOI Hall of Shame’ for leaving Nigerians in the dark

    Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today named the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) as this week’s inductee into the Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame for leaving Nigerians in the dark over its operations and activities arising from its flagrant disregard of several provision of the FOI Act, including its failure to submit annual reports and disclose information proactively, among others.

    The TCN manages the electricity transmission network in Nigeria and is one of the 18 companies that emerged from the unbundling of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in April 2004. It is a product of a merger of the transmission and system operations parts of PHCN. It was incorporated in November 2005 and issued a transmission license on July 1, 2006.

    The TCN is currently fully owned and operated by the Federal Government. It carries out activities which include electricity transmission, systems operation and electricity trading as well as taking responsibility for evacuating electric power generated by the electricity generating companies (GenCos) and wheeling such power to the distribution companies (DisCos).

    In a statement in Lagos, MRA’s Programme Manager in charge of Digital Rights, Ms Eseohe Ojo, noted that as part of the reform programme of the Federal Government, the TCN is to be reorganised and restructured to improve its reliability and expand its capacity in the power sector.”

    She interpreted the proposed reorganization and restructuring as evidence of a clear failure on the part of TCN to effectively carry out its mandate and the Federal Government’s recognition of public dissatisfaction with the company’s performance of its functions.

    Ms Ojo accused the company of failing to use “the most essential tool in its toolbox, which is the Freedom of Information Act, in ensuring that Nigerians are well informed, updated and carried along in its operations, businesses and activities, which might have resulted in public understanding of its challenges and generated the necessary public sympathy for it.”

    According to her, despite the fact that the core functions of the TCN ought to be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and integrity, among others, “it has chosen to operate in silence and secrecy, thereby depriving Nigerians of the right to be informed while at the same time failing to deliver to them in an efficient manner an essential public service.”

    She noted that since the coming into force of the FOI Act in 2011, the company had failed to submit a single annual report on its implementation of the Act to the Attorney General of the Federation, thereby violating section 29 (1) of the Act as well as the more detailed requirements contained in the Guidelines for the Implementation of the FOI Act, issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation in the exercise of his powers under the Act.

    Ms Ojo said the TCN had also contravened the section 2 (3)(d)(i) and (e)(iii) of the Act as it failed to proactively disclose information relating to the receipt and expenditure of public or other funds of the institution as well as information containing applications for any contracts made by or between the company and another public institution or private organization, which includes the foreign loans of $1.5 billion and $500 million that it received for its operations and contract processes.

    She added that this action had already caused the House of Representatives of the National Assembly to institute an investigation into the violation by the TCN of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the Public Procurement Act in October 2017.

    Ms Ojo also cited as a further breach of the FOI Act by the TCN its failure to publish on its website or on any other public platform, the title and address of the appropriate officer to whom applications for information under the Act should be made, as required by Section 2(3) (f) of the Act, evidencing a clear lack of intention to provide members of the public with information as it is obliged to do by the Act.

    She said the TCN had apparently also not trained its officials on the public’s right of access to information or records held by it and for the effective implementation of the Act as required by Section 13 of the Act.

    Ms Ojo also accused the company of non-responsiveness to requests for information made to it under the FOI Act and cited as an example, requests made on several occasions by the Abuja-based non-governmental organization, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), for information in the custody of the TCN, which were never granted or even answered.

    She said: “One should perhaps not be surprised by this lack of responsiveness on the part of the TCN to requests for information as it is apparent from its failure or refusal to designate an appropriate official to whom such requests for information should be directed that it never intended to respond to any such request for information, regardless of whatever the FOI Act stipulates.”

    Ms Ojo observed that although the TCN listed the names and titles of its management team on its website, it, failed to disclose the names, salaries, titles and dates of employment of all its employees, as required by the FOI Act.

    She also noted that the TCN has failed to list the classes of records under its control in sufficient detail to facilitate the exercise of the right to information under the Act as well as the manuals used by its employees in administering or carrying out any of the programmes or activities of the institution as required by Section 2 (3)(b) of the Act.

    Launched in July 2017, the “FOI Hall of Shame” draws attention to public officials and institutions undermining the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act through their actions, inactions, utterances and decisions.