Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has complained about the irresponsible attitude of some Nigerians when it comes to executing power sector projects. The minister said that some project executors never do what they need to do, which causes problems in the already challenging sector.
He said this at the June 7 BusinessDay Powering Nigeria conference in Lagos State. He said a meter procurement contract was given to a Nigerian to procure; the cost was 32 billion naira. But between 2003 and 2024, not a single meter was procured.
This highlights the multifaceted challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, which include infrastructural, financial, and behavioural deficits.
Current government focus
Meanwhile, during the conference, Adelabu noted that the Tinubu administration believes that a supportive policy and regulatory environment are essential for sustainable energy development, and the government is committed to creating policies that encourage investment, foster innovation, and ensure fair competition in the energy sector.
He said: “Our focus is on harnessing the rich diversity of our natural resources, from hydro to solar and beyond. Recently, the grid’s generation capacity has been expanded with the addition of a 700MW newly commissioned Zungeru hydropower plant.
“We have also secured presidential approval to defray legacy debts to gas companies to allow efficient gas supply to the power sector going forward and a payment mechanism to address Generation Companies debts to ensure necessary maintenance is resolved and evacuation capacity optimisation.
“With this effort, we aim to not only increase our generation capacity but also improve the efficiency and reliability of our power supply,”
“The Presidential Metering Initiative will ensure an additional two million meters will be procured annually for five years. This will ensure accurate billing, reduce revenue loss, and improve cash flow for a more liquid power sector.
“Before I left the office yesterday, the chairman of NERC, Alhaji Garba Sanusi, was in my office, and we agreed that we have accrued N20 billion for metering.
“And I said, let’s release the N20 billion for the DisCos to procure meters for the unmetered Band A customers. Before the end of September, that is going to happen.
“We are beginning to see some progress from the outcome of the government’s initiative in the last year. However, we will not relent until we have a resilient and efficient electricity sector that meets the needs of all Nigerians.”
Incoming National Electricity Policy
Adelabu also noted that the Federal Government will approve the new National Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan (NEPSIP) by September 2024. This policy is currently in the final stages of documentation and will soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The government has begun developing a comprehensive strategy for the nation’s electricity sector to enhance and align its policy and regulatory framework. This strategy aims to support innovation, research, and development, ultimately charting a sustainable path forward for Nigeria’s electricity industry.