AjanleKoko:

netotse, that sounds wack! Do you know what 300% of the current rates are? I don't know the price per KW, but if I pay about 5k naira now as electricity bill for my apartment, are you saying I should in fact be paying N15k?
Let's not mystify these things. Privatize the generation and distribution, and the prices will crash ultimately. People will pay for what they use. Can you imagine, I am hearing that PHCN wants to withdraw the pre-paid meters, as it was eating into their revenues. What backward thinking. Shior.

I thought I saw some post somewhere here about Nigerians paying the highest telecom tariffs in the world. What is that person smoking? Calling rates in Nigeria are in the top 20 lowest tariff bracket.

Moves:

@ Kobo~ the poor that we are arguing on; right now spend money on electricity or alternative form~

Am All for it being affordable but the poorest of us should not be used as the benchmark if electricity affordability by them will make realisation of 24\7 electricity unrealistic and unprofitable a venture that will discourage investors~

am also not an advocate of subsidyin present day nigeria ~ as it is an avenue for corruption~someone on the first page of this thread mentioned the cost to be around $70 Billion well we are already spending double that amount to fuel our generators annually~ Just the business sector alone spend $70 Billion on fuel for their generator annually,

According to figures released by Omoh Gabriel and Hector Igbikiowubo (Column written by John Moyibi Amoda published in the Vanguard newspaper of May, 6 2008 Lagos)
''Nigerians spend N16.408 Trillion ($140 billion USD) to fuel generators annually''
1. ''The telecom sector spends N6.7 Trillion per annum to purchase diesel''
2. ''Filling stations spend N43.98 billion''
3. ''Factories spend N191.08 billion''
4. ''Banks spend N11.7 billion''
5. ''Insurance companies spend N80 billion''
6. ''Residential N7.812 trillion; and commercial enterprises, N1.57 trillion''
''This amounts to 300,000,000 litres of petrol per day''.

The report further estimated that we might have up to five million commercial enterprises operating in the country including barber shops, hair dressing salons, restaurants, supermarkets, boutiques, block molding factories, recording studios, dry cleaning services, night clubs, casinos, offices etc. utilizing an average of eight litres of petrol per day on different capacity of generating sets. Furthermore, Ogbuotobo Chuks in his write up feature in the Nigeriastockmarket.com stated that Nigeria is the largest importer of generators in the world with Nigerians spending close to N1.31 trillion on the purchase of electricity generators over the last few years.

Kobojunkie:

No, they do not. Please, can we stop thinking that the poor we find in places like Lagos are all the poor there are? There are villages in the same Nigeria where all the villagers use only one cell phone, which is usually in the care of the village head. In addition, these cell phones are provided them by international orgs, and not our government.
There are poor people who live day after day in the dark with NO PLANS of any kind to purchase your generator, let alone fund one. They can barely afford cost of taking the bus, their only form of transport to and fro the markets where they do all they can to eke out a living for themselves. They go back home each evening to their kerosene lamps which they grudgingly refuel with kerosene they feel is somewhat out of their budget. I really hate the way we just write off issues concerning the poor as if they are all crooks, invisible freaks, or closet-rich individuals’ thieves, which they are not. Step outside of Lagos, outside of your comfort zones and see what is all around you, in to the rural areas. These people exist out there and they are not trying to TRICK THE SYSTEM or USE THE SYSTEM as some are all too willing to conclude is the case.

Kobojunkie:

I am sorry, that is not true! How in the world does government considering subsidizing cost for the poor make 24/7 electricity unrealistic and unprofitable? Governments around the world heavily subsidize one program or another. Has that stop investors of any kind?
I am an advocate for subsidies for the poor in our society. I do not believe we are anywhere close to the point where we can start arguing, reasonably, against helping lift the poor in our society. For one, they are the majority, and will continue to be so if we do not do something about it. It is being done in advanced societies .
Corruption in a seriously corrupt system is not a good enough reason why we should thumb our noses at the poor. The Government does not have a system in place that greatly benefits the poor --- Most of the subsidies we have today apply across the board and the rich seem to benefit more from it than the poor. I mean are you going to tell me that a poor farmer somewhere in Uturu, Abia, whose only form of transportation is a old raggedy bicycle he rides back and forth to his farm benefits from the fuel subsidy, or the telecomm subsidy( I still believe there is one), or any other programs out there?

Moves:

@ Kobo the above painted picture ~These people are in not affected by the cost of electricity because they are already living their life without it~you seem to have gone off tangient ~

Moves:

And moreso their energy need would be minimal; and I would assume that if the same usage pattern as painted above is practised~ factoring in energy saving bulb; electricity bulb for them will be cheaper than kerosine lamp ~ You are making me feel am anti poor~For the bolded portion~one off solar light bulb installation would be more cost effective beneficial to them than being connected to the grid.

Moves:

You seem to have overlooked my mentioned context of subsidy in the naija corrupt environment~Ask the same farmers what use to happen to Fertilizer subsidy~ ~ 
would rather such funds be expended to improve education (free quality education till university level) ~and provision of water & medical care~ as these will help the poor uproot themselve out of poverty ~ of what use is electricity to those that fall into the picture you painted ~apart from light which a solar lightbulb provides a better alternative than both what they are currently using and electricity~Is it to power a tv or videos that they cannot afford~

Moves:
According to figures released by Omoh Gabriel and Hector Igbikiowubo (Column written by John Moyibi Amoda published in the Vanguard newspaper of May, 6 2008 Lagos)
''Nigerians spend N16.408 Trillion ($140 billion USD) to fuel generators annually''
1. ''The telecom sector spends N6.7 Trillion per annum to purchase diesel''
2. ''Filling stations spend N43.98 billion''
3. ''Factories spend N191.08 billion''
4. ''Banks spend N11.7 billion''
5. ''Insurance companies spend N80 billion''
6. ''Residential N7.812 trillion; and commercial enterprises, N1.57 trillion''
''This amounts to 300,000,000 litres of petrol per day''.
The report further estimated that we might have up to five million commercial enterprises operating in the country including barber shops, hair dressing salons, restaurants, supermarkets, boutiques, block molding factories, recording studios, dry cleaning services, night clubs, casinos, offices etc. utilizing an average of eight litres of petrol per day on different capacity of generating sets. Furthermore, Ogbuotobo Chuks in his write up feature in the Nigeriastockmarket.com stated that Nigeria is the largest importer of generators in the world with Nigerians spending close to N1.31 trillion on the purchase of electricity generators over the last few years.

Kobojunkie:

But how many Nigerians can currently afford the generators and paying of diesel? If Government spends 72 Billion to generate electricity for all the country, how many people will be able to afford the uninterrupted electricity then? How many people can afford 6000 Naira a month today(in Nigeria) to afford electricity, assuming that will be the cost when we finally fix the power issue? Unless we are advocating Government not only supply electricity but also subsidize the cost for seriously low income households(which happen to be the majority in our country), the cost issue is a real problem that we need a solution to, in my opinion.

master2:

More than 60% of Nigerian home use up to N6000 a month to buy petrol and diesel.so if we can have uninterrupted electricity at that amount i think is ok.[color=#990000][/color]

Country/Territory↓ US cents/1kWh↓ As of↓ Sources↓
Australia                 7.11                 2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]
Belgium                11.43                 2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]
Canada                 6.18                 2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]
Croatia                 17.55                 2008-07-01 2008-07-01 HEP
Denmark                42.89                 2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]
Finland                6.95                         2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]
France                19.25                  july    2009 2009 EEP[3]
Germany                 30.66                  july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
Hong Kong
(Kowloon/ NT)    11.80                 2008-04-23 2010 CLP announces new tariff[4]
Hong Kong
(HK Is.)                 12.30                 2008-04-23 2008-05-07 HEC[5]
Iceland                 11.61                 2008-07-07 2008-07-07 OR[6]
Ireland                 23.89                 2006-2007 2006-2007 ESB[7]
Italy                 37.23                  july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
Malaysia                 7.42                 Dec 2007 Dec 2007 ST[8]
Netherlands          34.70                 july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
Perú                 10.44                 2006-2007 2006-2007 PTL[9]
Philippines         28.80                April 2010 April 2010 EEP[3]
Portugal                 16.39                2009 2009 EDP[9]
Singapore         15.31                2009-2009 2009-2009 PEI[2]
Spain                 19.50                july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
South Africa         10.15                2008-2009 2008-2009 Eskom[10]
Sweden                  27.34                july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
UK                         18.59                july 2009 2009 EEP[3]
USA                    9.28                2006-2007 2006-2007 PEI[2]

ndu_chucks
This is a very bad idea. Governments are not known to run businesses efficiently. Power distribution should be handled by profit motivated corporations who will safeguard the assets and run the system efficiently.

What GJ needs to do is to sell the distribution assets to corporations (preferably joint ventures - proven US/UK/China distribution companies with Nigerian partners) and let them run the distribution system.

Governments, whether state of federal are incapable of running the distribution system efficiently.

Please, do not assume you are speaking to numbskulls on here. Approx 75% of Nigerians are recorded to be living on less than $2 dollars a day which is about Naira 6000 a month. And this amount includes money spent on food,rent,water, fuel included. So, you tell us where you 60% stat comes from please. Cause you would have to explain that one to me and any other person who finds the problem with your claim there considering what we know.