The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has reiterated the Federal Government’s plan to raise electricity generation from 3,500 Megawatts (MW) to 6,500MW within the next three to six months.
Adelabu, who was on a working visit to various power projects in Lagos on Friday, March 22, 2024, said the aim was to enhance power supply across the country to meet the growing energy demands.
His visit included an inspection of the headquarters of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and two 20 MVA injection substations at Randle, Surulere, along with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring rooms.
Adelabu emphasised the urgency of boosting electricity generation capacity, stating, “3,500 megawatts is not acceptable, and we have plans to increase the capacity to a minimum of 6,000 to 6,500 within the next three to six months.”
He commended EKEDC for its achievements over the past decade and stressed the need for continuous improvement in the power sector to drive economic growth and development effectively.
Highlighting the critical role of the power sector in industrial and economic development, Adelabu compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity unfavourably to that of countries like Korea and China, underscoring the need for substantial improvement.
Addressing challenges in the power sector, Adelabu emphasised the importance of prioritising baseload power generation and gradually transitioning to cleaner energy sources to meet the nation’s energy needs effectively.
He acknowledged the persisting complaints about power outages and urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to address these challenges and improve service delivery.
Adelabu outlined the government’s strategy to prioritise service provision to customers in higher billing bands while gradually extending improved services to all segments through strategic infrastructure investments.
Recognising the role of Distribution Companies (DisCos) in customer service, Adelabu said it was important to ensure proactive engagement and efficient operations at this level to address consumer needs effectively.
He stressed the need for comprehensive reforms and transformation in all segments of the power sector, focusing on issues such as metering, vandalism, debt collection, and customer relations.
Adelabu highlighted the necessity of stimulating demand through customer engagement to ensure effective utilisation of generated power and underscored the importance of efficient distribution to prevent wastage.
The minister noted the government’s commitment to enhancing the sector’s performance through substantial investments in infrastructure and efficient customer response.
In response to the minister’s visit, Mr Oritsedere Otubu, Chairman of EKEDC, commended the government’s efforts to improve power supply and expressed the company’s commitment to supporting the initiative.
Dr Tinuade Sanda, CEO of EKEDC, said the company would continue to collaborate with government agencies and consumers to protect power assets and curb vandalism within its operations.
Sanda said that the company, in the last six months, had invested over N4 billion on transformers, cables and rehabilitation over 352 feeders to ensure stable supply during the rainy season.
She added that the debt profile of the company in the last 10 years stood at over N131 billion, inclusive of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
“We also use this medium to appeal to our customers to pay their bills for effective service delivery.
“The MDAs outstanding debts to date stood at over N36 billion, adding that the DisCo will not hesitate to embark on mass disconnection of debtors,” she added.
She, however, said the company was ready to embark on mass disconnection of debtors, including government agencies with outstanding debts, to address the issue of unpaid bills.
By Yusuf Yunus
