Nigerians seek projections on power transmission not generation
Reactions have continued to trail recent new projection for power generation nationwide which was put at 9000 Mega Watts (MW) effective first quarter of 2020.
Whereas the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave the hint at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce meeting in Lagos, saying power generation had steadily rose by 1000MW average per year, since 2015 till date, Nigerians who barred their minds said the key demand of power consumers is the transmission.
To them, generation means nothing when it is not taken to the end users. Nigerian electricity users over the years had been suffering momentary power outages caused by dearth of transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The Minister had scored the sector high in the last three years against the backdrop of current 7000MW with more prospects of additions to the grid ahead of the 2020 projection, but he was mute on the actual quantum that gets to the end users on a daily basis and cases of grid collapse which had become a recurring decimal in recent weeks.
Fashola disclosed that power generation has increased from 4000MW in 2015 to 7000MW and “that power is available as we are averaging 1000MW per year in incremental worth”.
Electricity transmission has also improved from 5000 to 7000MW, while distribution has peaked from 3000MW in 2015 to 5222MW as at January this year “and that is the highest amount of energy this country has distributed ever”.
On the prospects for the future, Fashola said before the end of the year, another 945MW would be added to the grid.
Currently, almost half of that (459MW) is ready from Azura. Afam IV also has 240MW ready, Kaduna 215MW and Kashimila in Taraba 40MW are all ready.
However, Fashola who had assured Nigerians during the 2015 election campaign that power crisis will be a thing of the past in one year; last week came out boldly to aver that solving Nigeria’s power supply crisis cannot be by magic.
