Recently, the Nigeria’s Power Minister – Mr.
Babatunde Fashola – publicly uttered that the country’s economic plight could
not be attributed to steady electricity outage. The utterance was arguably in
conflict with the popular belief that power supply remains the backbone of any
economic development.
The Nigeria’s power sector is
presently yearning for rescue that if drastic measure isn’t taken, soonest the
country won’t only reckoned to be synonymous with blackout but a place
invariably used as a case-study whenever non-electricity supply is being
discussed.
It’s indeed worrisome to acknowledge
that in spite of the intimidating size of the acclaimed giant of Africa, both
in landmass and population, she’s currently striving toward boasting of steady 7,000MW
of electricity supply, whereas nations like Ghana, South-Africa, Iran, and South-Korea,
among others alike, that aren’t up to 60 million people on the average,
presently boast of over 50,000MW. Such a shocking phenomenon calls for thorough
examination in the said sector.
During the past administration, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo’s particularly, the Power Reform Act was introduced, which
was aimed at boosting electricity supply. In addition, the then existing
National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) was changed to Power Holding Company
of Nigeria (PHCN) owing to concession. National Integrated Power Project (NIPP)
was equally initiated.
Piqued by the epileptic power
situation, Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, on assumption of office in 2007,
lamented that the government under Chief Obasanjo squandered about $10 billion
on the NIPP with little or no effect.
On power sector alone, the
administration of Chief Obasanjo reportedly spent $16 billion approximately
equivalent to #3.52 trillion, his successor Late Yar’Adua expended $5.375
billion (#1.183 trillion), whilst immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration spent $8.26 billion (#1.817 trillion). In a nutshell, the
country, within the years in review, spent about $29.635 billion amounting to
#6.52 trillion only on quest for steady power supply.
It would be recalled that during Dr.
Jonathan’s reign, the distribution section/phase of the power sector was
totally deregulated, thereby leading to Public-Private Partnership (PPP); a
measure that Nigerians thought would salvage the power industry. It’s worth
noting that the power sector comprises three major sections (phases) namely:
the generation, transmission, and distribution sections. These three phases
collectively contribute to the production of the two hundred and twenty
Alternating-Current Voltage (AC220V) required by electricity consumers in
Nigeria.
Despite all these measures, rather than
improving, the country’s power sector remains in a comatose state, or even
deteriorates on a daily basis. The various distribution firms, instead of
concentrating on how to serve the teeming consumers, end up compounding the
already existing plight. At the moment, an electricity consumer in Nigeria,
regardless of locality, would be faced with a utility bill even though he never
enjoyed any power supply in the past; one might wonder where such bill was
fabricated.
The problem with the Nigerian power sector
remains lack of technical know-how cum initiative as well as decay in
maintenance culture. Most times, the personnel at the generation phase would
inform Nigerians that the supply of gasoline has depreciated due to pipeline
vandalism. Suchlike report is ridiculous and laughable in a country like ours
that can boast of so many sources of electricity generation in abundance.
Frankly, over-dependence on mono-source is really telling on the Nigerian
economy at large, not just in the power sector.
A few of the country’s mineral resources
alone, such as coal and what have you can generate enormous electricity
required by the overall Nigerians. Similarly, biomass and wind-power, which are
renewable and reliable energy sources – if properly harnessed – can generate
electricity that can serve the entire Nigerian population. Biomass can either
be used directly via combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting
it to various forms of biofuel. Its conversion to biofuel can be achieved by
different methods broadly classified into chemical, thermal, and biochemical
methods.
Besides, why is solar energy in abeyance? Most
western countries that cannot boast of a steady fifteen degree Celsius (15*C)
depend mainly on solar energy as regards power supply let alone Nigeria that
can steadily boast of over 30*C. The country is abound with the four energy
sources mentioned so far; but pathetically, the resources are lying fallow. The
government needs to create an industry that would produce the required
facilities; the proposed approach cannot be actualized without lifting embargo
on PPP.
Above all, considering the ongoing power
generation via turbine or hydro-plants, there’s compelling need for the
government to decentralize the transmission grid. Rather than sustaining the
national grid, since it’s obvious that such sustenance is cumbersome, each
region or zone ought to be entitled to a transmission grid, thereby easing the
maintenance cost.
The aforementioned approach won’t
only reduce cost, but will equally boost adequate and uninterruptible power
supply across the federation. The private sector must also be given a room to
key in. The various established private transmission grids such as the Power
Geometrics in Aba, Abia State invented by Prof. Bart Nnaji and his team needs
to be encouraged effectively.
Before this blackout becomes bomb blast, it’s
consequential to notify Mr. Fashola that it’s time he had a rethink over such a
misleading ideology. Think about it!
Comrade FDN Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri
__________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador 
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