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FG promises improved but not constant power supply

By BusinessNews Staff on January 15, 2014

The Federal Government may have soft-pedalled on its directive to power firms to ensure that there is visible improvement in electricity supply across the country by June this year.

It said it would rather give an assurance of improved power supply until the goal of constant electricity in the country was eventually achieved.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said a lot more work needed to be done to meet the expectation of constant power supply.

He stressed that nothing would be left undone in meeting President Goodluck Jonathan’s desire to ensure adequate electricity supply to all Nigerians.

Last Tuesday, the Federal Government gave an ultimatum to the power investors and key operators in the sector to, as a matter of urgency, ensure that there was visible power supply in the country within six months.

The directive, which came from the President, was disclosed by Nebo.

But the minister, in a statement on Monday, said the immediate goal of the Federal Government was to provide 14 hours of electricity to consumers, who are already getting 12 hours supply.

According to the minister, others who get 14 hours supply are to enjoy between 16 and 18 hours, while major cities like Lagos and Abuja are being targeted for between 22 and 23 hours supply daily.

Nebo said this target would, be achieved in a few months time.

The minister, who did not specify the target date for the visible improvement in supply of electricity, noted that the ultimate goal of this vision was for Nigerians to get 24 hours daily supply eventually.

Admitting that the goal of stable electricity in the country would take some time to achieve, the minister said it would be realised because of the foundation already laid by the government for increased generation and enhanced transmission and distribution.

Private sector investors in the power generation and distribution companies had told our correspondent that the President’s ultimatum was being threatened by the inefficiency of the Transmission Company of Nigeria and inadequate supply of gas to the thermal power generation plants.

Nebo said the ambitious project of Operation Light-up Rural Nigeria was targeted at providing power to individuals in the rural areas, who were not connected to the national grid.

He said, “Mr. President gave us a marching order. He said he wants electricity to be taken to even places not connected to the national grid.

“Of course, before this administration, nobody was talking about that. You had to just wait until there was national grid before you had electricity. Now, the game has changed.”

The Operation Light-up Rural Nigeria, according to Nebo, is 100 per cent solar-driven and provides energy hubs in the benefiting rural communities.

“So, at the end of the day, you have a situation where even communities, which are not connected to the national grid, will get electricity. By so doing, medium and small scale enterprises will thrive.”

Meanwhile, the President on Monday evening officially inaugurated the Federal Government’s solar-powered electricity project, Operation Light-up Rural Nigeria, in Abuja.

The project will provide electricity to rural dwellers, who are not connected to the national grid.

The inauguration, which had been rescheduled twice, was finally held in Durumi, a community in Mpape, one of the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the President, the OLRN project was conceived by the Federal Ministry of Power as a fast-track mechanism to deliver electricity to thousands of rural communities in Nigeria.

[Punch]

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