Eben Enasco Reporting
Nigerians have long suffered from erratic power supply, with frequent total blackouts, despite successive governments’ promises to improve the situation.
Billions of naira have been expended, yet the problem persists, leaving many to lose hope.
Recently, the Federal Government committed $800 million to the construction of substations and the extension of distribution lines under the Presidential Power Initiative PPI.
The strategic investment, it noted, would address critical challenges within the nation’s electricity grid, ensuring more reliable and efficient power delivery across the country.
According to him, the $800 million will be divided equally between two major projects: Lot 2, which focuses on building substations for the franchise areas of Benin, Port Harcourt, and Enugu distribution companies, and Lot 3, which will develop both substations and distribution lines for the franchise areas of Abuja, Kaduna, Jos, and Kano distribution companies.
“Power generation should nearly double, and transmission and distribution networks improved. We will encourage states to develop local sources as well,” he said.
This comes as the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN, said it has the capacity to transmit 6,000 MWS of electricity to distribution load centres nationwide.
Sule Abdulaziz, the Managing Director of TCN said this in an interview in Abuja on Sunday.
The TCN boss said that the company had installed new transformers to ensure an increase in capacity.
During a recent facility tour of TBEA Southern Power Transmission and Distribution Industry in Beijing, China, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced the details of the investment.
Aside from the Bola Ahmed Tinubu intentions, there was a $16 billion allegedly expended on the power sector under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with no true position of things in the Energy Sector.
To further compound the problems, in April, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.
Since the beginning of 2024, Nigeria’s electricity grid has collapsed four times, with power generation dropping from nearly 4,000MW to 57MW.
The Minister’s visit to China was part of his participation in the China-Africa Cooperation Summit, where he emphasised the importance of these projects in stabilizing and expanding Nigeria’s power distribution network.
He expressed concern over the current inefficiencies in the sector, highlighting that despite a peak generation capacity of 5,170 megawatts, the inability of distribution companies DisCos to absorb the full supply resulted in a 1,400 megawatt shortfall.
For years, the country has been plagued by a perennial power challenge, with no end in sight.
However, the emergence of Solar Power Systems offers a glimmer of light in the darkness as it seems that a reliable solution is finally within reach.
This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize Nigeria’s power landscape, providing a clean, efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional energy sources.
As the nation continues to grapple with the failures of its power infrastructure, solar energy stands out as a beacon of hope.
With its numerous benefits and growing adoption, it may finally be the answer to Nigeria’s power prayers.
With solar energy, it is clean & green, but not dependent on other sources of Energy, non-maintenance, Safer than Other, Renewable Energy Electricity Bill Reduction, in Maximum Usage.
It is important that the Government at all levels should begin to tit towards building a solar energy farm for its people rather than resolving to impoverish the people
With the Nigerian electricity supply chain still being plagued by all manner of problems, including, but not limited to unreliable grid systems, gas scarcity, substantial debt burdens, and vandalism, the country will remain stagnant without government fully supportive of the idea to light up communities with solar energy.