The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Sunday Oduntan, has said Nigeria’s hydro plants are not generating enough power to serve the country.
In an interview with Nairametrics, he added that Nigeria’s three major hydroelectric power plants were not generating enough power, hence Discos’ reliance on gas-fired plants to augment supply.
He opined that one of the solutions to the power supply challenge was to increase production. “Gas is the fuel we use for most of our generation. We have water too, but that one is not much. Just three major hydro power plants at Shiroro, Kainji Dam, and Jebba.
What they give us collectively is not up to one-third of our production. So we rely heavily on gasfired power plants like the one at Egbin. “What you should do is to increase production, increase output; thereby, you’ll be able to fulfill all obligations.
“Liquidity issue. People should endeavor to pay for their energy usage. People should fish out those using electricity illegally; if they see something, they should say something. The ministries, departments, and agencies should pay their debts, that’s the way out.
It’s about payments, and they should deal with the issue of tariff mismatch. “There should be technical and commercial alignment. If we’re generating 10,000MW, the Transmission Company of Nigeria should be able to transmit that, and the distribution companies should be able to distribute that 10,000MW.” Also, Ikeja Electric has attributed current poor services and power outages being experienced by residents and businesses within its jurisdiction to a nationwide drop in electricity generation.
Head, Corporate Communications, IE, Kingsley Okotie, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday, also lamented that the reduction in generation had significantly reduced electricity allocation to distribution companies, worsening supply conditions and affecting economic activities across its coverage areas. According to him, the company is working to manage the limited supply as fairly as possible while appealing for customers’ patience.
Okotie said: “The ongoing reduction in electricity supply is largely due to a nationwide drop in power generation, caused by limited gas supply to thermal power plants. “This has significantly reduced the energy available on the national grid and, consequently, the allocation to Ikeja Electric and other distribution companies.
“The management regrets the inconvenience caused and appreciates the patience and understanding of our customers during this period.” In a related development, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has said that the Federal Government is moving to address persistent gas shortages undermining electricity generation, which has negatively affected power supply across the country.
