The Senate has introduced a bill seeking to ban the importation, sale and use of generating sets in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled: “Generating Set (Prohibition/Ban) Bill, 2020”, was read for the first time on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Muhammad Enagi Bima (Niger South), who explained that the ban was to facilitate the development of the power sector as well as curb the menace of environmental pollution which poses potential health hazards to the country.
A copy of the proposed legislation showed that “any person who imports generating sets; or knowingly sells generating sets shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years.”
The ban, however, excluded the use of generating sets for essential services.
The bill listed the essential services to include: medical purposes (hospitals and nursing homes and healthcare facilities), airports, railway stations/services.
Other are: elevators (lifts), escalators, research institutions and such facilities that require 24-hour electric power supply.
The piece of the legislation states that approval for exclusion shall be obtained from the minister in charge of power who shall brief the Federal Executive Council quarterly on approvals granted.
It states further that: “All persons are hereby directed to stop the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect in the country.”
The bill defines generating set to mean a machine that is used for producing electricity.
More troubles for Nigerians
If passed, the bill may cause more discomfort for most Nigerians who depend on generating sets for power supply.
Nigeria has been having electricity challenges for a long time and it is believed that the government’s efforts were being frustrated by those importing generating sets into the country.
Just last Saturday, shortage of gas hit 16 power generating plants, causing power generation at its highest point to drop to 3,675 megawatts (MW).
Operators also said the drop in power supply will continue for another 10 days until scheduled maintenance is completed on the gas pipelines.
Daily power generation statistics obtained by Daily Trust from the Independent System Operator (ISO), a section of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) puts peak generation at 4,055MW last Friday but dropped to 3,236MW at the close of that day.
Equally, a statement from the TCN spokesperson, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, on Saturday confirmed this, saying “the nation’s power sector is experiencing power supply shortage caused by low gas supply which has restrained the ability of many thermal power stations to generate optimally.”
It said four Generation Companies (GenCos) generated zero megawatts (MW) on Friday due the cut in gas supply. The GenCos are Sapele NIPP, Olorunsogo NIPP, Ihovbor NIPP and Azura Edo power plants.
Twelve other GenCos were affected but generated at lower capacities. They include Egbin, Sapele, Delta (gas), Geregu, Omotosho, Olorunsogo, Geregu NIPP, Alaoji NIPP, Omotosho NIPP, Odukpani NIPP, Okpai and Omoku GenCos.
