FG, tackle the power outage

For weeks now, Nigeria has continued to experience poor power supply, with some parts of the country in total darkness. The citizens have been denied electricity supply, thereby putting a question mark on the government’s pledge to deliver significant economic growth and industrial progress. Indeed, it has been a double whammy for Nigerians, as the widespread power outage is happening in the season of scorching heat waves. All across the country, citizens are enduring sweltering weather conditions, with no relief in sight.

This has disrupted normal daily life, hindering socio-economic growth because any outage, even of the shortest duration, has severe socio-economic impacts. With this development, Nigerians are in danger of meningitis, sunstroke, dehydration, heat rash, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal disease hospitalizations, especially for individuals relying on electricity-dependent medical equipment.

Faced with frequent power outages, households, and businesses, especially industries, acquire and operate their own generators to meet daily demands for uninterrupted electricity supply. But their ability to generate their own electricity is hampered by the high cost of petrol and diesel which has been jerked up to an average of N700 for petrol and N1,300 for diesel.  In December 2021, the National Bureau of Statistics said generators powered by petrol, diesel and gas provided 48.6% of the electricity consumed by power users across the country, meaning that the national grid provided 51.2% of the country’s power needs. The NBS Power Sector Data Preview showed that petrol-powered generators accounted for the bulk (22.6 per cent) of the electricity supplied by generators. This was in the best of times.

But in terms of electricity supply, this has been one of the worst times for Nigerians. It is such that the House of Representatives stepped in to investigate the matter, saying it is of great national importance. The House motion was adopted and referred to the Committee on Power, to liaise with critical stakeholders in the power sector to investigate and proffer solutions to the development and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, also summoned the managing director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), chief executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over the worsening power supply in their regions with a view to proffering a lasting solution. The minister also resolved to query the management of other non-performing DisCos.

Yet, this is a nation with an installed national grid capacity of about 12,522 MW, but generates and supplies only a paltry 3,500MW and 4,500MW for an estimated population of 200 million people. Most times, this plunges far below 2,324 megawatts. The only ray of hope is that the minister of Power said he would mount pressure on GenCos to improve performance and generation to over 4,000MW. Still, this is not reassuring.

May we remind the federal government that in November 2013, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) officially privatised the six successor GenCos and the 11 DisCos that were unbundled from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Under the privatization, investors acquired 60 per cent stake in each of the companies, while the federal government retained 40 per cent. Therefore, the federal government should not pretend to be an uninterested 40% investor without leverages. As shareholders with responsibilities of providing stable electricity to Nigerians, it should not allow the sector to continue to grapple with daunting challenges that have stunted its growth and defeated the whole essence of privatisation.

Also, we need to remind the federal government that Nigerians are tired of empty promises and are running out of the same patience officials keep asking them to have. The citizens cannot understand why none of the perennial causes of the power outages – shortage of gas, weak transmission and distribution network, inadequate infrastructural facilities and vandalism – has been resolved. The citizens are yearning for a reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity supply, which has become a mirage.

We, at Daily Trust, want the Federal Ministry of Power to know that its role and mission is to formulate energy policies and monitor the implementation of those policies to ensure that Nigerians get unhindered electricity supply. The ministry is not supposed to be in the vanguard of perennially making excuses for failures. We call on the Minister of Power to urgently find ways of strengthening the power infrastructure that will ensure efficient and adequate electricity supply to distribution load centres for onward distribution to electricity customers nationwide.

We also call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and give the sector the urgent attention it deserves. The challenge of power outages should be seen for what it is – a threat to households, businesses and the health of Nigerians. All tools and weapons of the Nigerian state should be marshalled to resolve this crisis.

It must be stated that the present power situation is shameful and totally unacceptable to Nigerians. A permanent solution must be found to this problem.