Electricity - Is There No Solution

fellow countrymen and women,

I for one think that our goverments are extraordinarily incompetent at best and at worst that damn hard dishonest.

Electricity s not diffrent from planting corn or cassava, you clear the grounfd having identify a good soil for it, have your planting crops ready, dig the whole to the required measurement, plant, nuture , harvest  etc.

Even if the previous NEPA machinery is not working anymore build alternative and stop puttin 140millions nigerians in darkness and industry cannot function for good productivity.

If i am Yar Adua. I will set timetable of 18 months maximum 24 and I would push to get electricity for Nigerian in 12 months if he Yar Adua doubt me let him have the guts to appoint me as Electricity Ministers,

Nigerians quite frankly this thing is quite simple than they make us beleive.

I am aaware of very serious interest group like the generator and diesel cabal who are anti nigerians but we cross the bridge when we get to the Rivers.


You contributiosn fellows, give a good reason that we cannot electrify Nigerian in 18 months -24 months

Well you have spoken well!! but what you should know is that it is not that easy to do. there is " a cabal" as you mentioned that would not want this to happen, that's why electricity will continue to be sabotaged in this country.

we need divine intervention, believe me or not. we will get there by the Grace of God.

Do not call me your fellow countryman if you chose to ignore the plan to eradicate the electricity problems by licensing IPPs. It is a very simple and easy plan borrowed from the success of GSM companies.

Having studied CRS211 (Principles of crop production), CRS221 (Crop Physiology, Anatomy and taxonomy), CRS311 (Arable crop production), CRS401 (Permanent arms production techniques), CRS402 (Arable crop production techniques) and finally CRS403 (Horticultural crop production techniques).
I took internships at the headquarters Nigerian Institute For Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) and the headquarters of the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RINN)

There is totally no connection between cropping and generating/transmitting electricity. Alternating Current and Zea mays or Manihot utilisima? At all, lai-lai, I don't agree.
You're comparing planting a seed with what? I planted my first maize seed when I was less than 5 years old, but I only learnt how to read and accurately translate those figures on my meter only last year.
Electricity generation must be one of the most difficult things after Rocket science and Nuclear Science.

Na all this kain simplistic, fantasy based thinking kill a great scientist like Marie Curie.

@vigasimple

I said the plan by the government to bring in IPPs to generate and distribute electricity is simple plan. I didn't say that the process of generating and distributing electricity was simple. Watch the documentary on the construction of the kainji dam or China's three Gorges dam.

When you make people believe things are much easier than they really are, you end up sending them in ill-prepared and frustrated when they see no results.
Fill them in on the realities so that only those that have perfected the art can apply. At this point, one of the Independent Power Projects has been built by Siemens and will be run by them, unlike the former case of NEPA RUNNING DOWN machinery.

Amen @ Seun!  It worked for Ghana!  I repeat in Ghana, do they have 2 heads?  Why must we keep calling God when we are not ready to work hard and help ourselves?

CJA On The Worsening Electricity Crisis in Ghana
June 2nd, 2007 by ghanashow
Press Conference By The Committee For Joint Action (CJA) On The Worsening Electricity Crisis Facing The Nation

Good Morning Ladies and gentlemen of the Press,

We have called you here this morning to share a few thoughts with you on the ever worsening electricity crisis facing this nation. We will also like to draw your attention again to the insensitivity of the government in increasing the prices of fuel, water and electricity at a time like this.

Ever since the NPP government, without any notice to the people of Ghana, embarked on a load shedding exercise on August 27th 2006, the electricity situation, instead of improving has grown from bad to worse.

From a load shedding schedule of 12 hours light-off every 5 days, we have retrogressed to a 12 hour light-off every other day and are currently being subjected to a 15 hour lights off every other day even though this latest move has not been officially announced.

The planned load shedding exercise is operative when electricity is available but as all of us can testify, we are being subjected to the most erratic supply of electric power ever.

One can count himself or herself very lucky if electricity supply is not interrupted at least three times during the day.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us ponder over how Ghana, a country which used to have surplus electricity and was therefore a net exporter of power came to this stage. A very brief history of electricity generation in this country would be refreshing.

On January 22, 1966, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah inaugurated the 588 MW Akosombo power plant. The Acheampong regime increased the capacity from 588 MW to 912 MW by adding two more turbines.

The SMC/Dr Limann Government undertook the construction of the 160 MW Kpong hydroelectric facility which incidentally was inaugurated by the then PNDC Chairman J. J. Rawlings. The NDC Government under Rawlings moved away from the solely hydro-based power system and constructed the 550 MW Aboadze thermal power plant. By end of 2000 the installed electricity capacity in the country was 1640 MW made up of 1090 MW hydro power and 550 MW thermal power.

As previous Governments were increasing the installed electric power capacity, the Ghana demand was also increasing at a rate of about 10% per annum. It had also been established that the hydrology of the Volta Lake was such that every 7-10 years it went through a cycle of drought which led to low water inflows into the Volta Lake. In 1983, 1993 & 1998-1999 the lake experienced those low water inflows. It was therefore expected that between 2006 and 2008 the low water inflow into the lake would repeat itself.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, with this background, it was proposed in December 2003 that the Aboadze thermal Plant capacity must be expanded with the addition of the 110 MW steam component by end of 2006.

It was also proposed that the ‘Osagyefo’ power barge project be made operational to produce 125 MW of power by the end of 2005.

In its 2002-2003 annual report, the Energy Commission correctly predicted the current energy crisis and made a number of recommendations to deal with it. The Commission warned that under no circumstance should the Akosombo Dam be operated below 240 feet. It also recommended that in order to avoid any future electricity problems: (i) A 200 MW thermal plant be installed by end 2003. (ii) By end of 2004 another 200 MW thermal plant should also be installed (iii) By the end of 2007 an additional 200 MW plant should also be commissioned.

Ladies and gentlemen, if the NPP government had implemented the very sound proposals it was given, Ghana would have had an additional installed electric power capacity of 835 MW by 2007. However, in typical fashion the NPP government paid no heed to the sound technical advice of its own energy experts. This is a clear case of incompetence and bad governance. In almost 7 years in power they have not added even 1 MW of power to the electricity sub-sector.

The NPP government, instead of telling Ghanaians about the gravity of the electric power crisis and the time it would take to solve the problem, has been engaged in strenuous efforts to deceive Ghanaians that all will be well within months.

First the President himself looked Ghanaians in the face and told us on February 8th 2007 that within a fortnight Nigeria would supply Ghana with 200 MW of power to help resolve our power crisis. The fortnight has turned into 11 weeks and no power has been received from Nigeria. Even if Nigeria had power to supply the government ought to have realised that there is no interconnectivity between Ghana and Nigeria.

The NPP government in its state of confusion and desperation attempted to deceive, confuse and create the impression to Ghanaians that to solve the immediate, very short term electricity crisis, the solution lay in long gestation period projects.

The Bui dam, a project which would take 7 years from day one of construction to day of delivering any power at all is being presented as a solution to the current crisis.

The Nuclear Power Project which would take 10 years before it delivers any power is also being presented as the solution to the current crisis.

The West African Gas Pipeline Project (WAPP), a project under which one source of fuel for firing thermal plants would be substituted for other types of fuel, is being presented as the solution to the current crisis. The truth is that until and unless additional thermal plants are put in place the WAGPP would fuel only the 550 MW Aboadze thermal plant.

The transmission network currently operated by the VRA is to be hived off and set up as an independent company. This does not help to resolve the current crisis. The transmission lines would not carry any more electric power than what is available in the system.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the electricity crisis has seriously affected the economy. Industries have either closed down, dismissed workers so as to cut down on production cost or are generating their own electric power at such high cost that their products have become uncompetitive on the market.

Medical personnel performing surgeries work in constant fear of losing their patients on the operating table as a result of unplanned power cuts. Household appliances are being destroyed due to frequent brown-outs and voltage fluctuations. Those who cannot afford generators have had to rely on unsafe lighting systems such as candles and hurricane lamps which in several cases have caused fires and loss of lives and property.

In the face of all these problems and difficulties, the insensitive NPP government has decided to increase electricity and water tariffs. They have also increased prices of petroleum products. These increases will no doubt worsen the plight of Ghanaians in all walks of life. The increases in the prices of petroleum products are even more insensitive, having regard to the fact that businesses and individuals have been compelled by the current electricity crisis to rely on generators for their electricity supply. The increase in petroleum prices will reduce the capacity of businesses and individuals to cope with the electricity crisis.

It is also important to recognise that the fuel price increases will have ripple effects in all sectors of the national life and lead to increases in the prices of all commodities and services. The increases in the prices of petroleum products (more than 600% since 2001 when the NPP came to power) are unwise. Our ability to tolerate such insensitivity is being stretched beyond limits.

Ladies and gentlemen, the current shortfall in the supply of electricity is about 700 MW. Many groups have made proposals to the government on solutions to the electricity crisis. We of the CJA would like to make the following suggestions to the government:

As a quick fix solution, the government should import more emergency power plants to help deal with the situation.

The 80 MW generating sets imported by the mining companies must be made operational immediately.

VRA must be resourced to enable it to complete the construction and installation of its 126 MW thermal plant at Tema.

Although expansion of the Aboadze single cycle power plant to a combined cycle plant by the addition of the steam component would take 18 months to complete, this project must start now so as to reduce the cost of power generated from the Aboadze plant.

Effective mechanisms must be put in place to encourage Ghanaians to shift to the usage of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL bulbs). More strenuous efforts should be made towards electricity conservation.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, there is need to separate long term solutions to the energy crisis from the very short term solutions which are required now to get the country out of the current crisis. The NPP government must not give false hope to Ghanaians where no hope exists.

Thank you very much.

Source:  Committee For Joint Action

Ghanaweb

First

to

Denex,

If our teachers were to say a particular subject, topic or theory is difficult and we don't make an effort to debate it, work at it, but simply accept that proposition, you and I will not have a meaninful education today. If the teacher can succedd in passing the exams before teaching us, goodness Lord with modern technology which calculator or computers will give you answer in seconds, I am pretty convinced that  we are buying into that beleieve that blackman has black mentality. faith in ourselves is lacking

There are stable 24hrs electricity in a lot of country with reserves why didn't we simply copy them than waste our time and talent.

What I see here is that for some reason everybody just accept the nonsense we are being fed and refuse to explore the fact so that ordinary folks can be educated on the challenges of electryfying our country. Again use the GSM example illiterate people can even tell you what is going on. simple and effective education.

NEVER NEVER NEVER BUY all those official corrupt reports, is it because election is rocket science that we cannot even run a free, fair and troule free election. simple logistic was turn into an hellish project. Polictician begin to out rig each others

To
Militia,

I always love your contributions on this site but at the same time I will encourage you to find another way of putting your points accross especially to Adura- ngba, not unless there is something personal that we are not privy to. Even then she is only putting her opinion forward based on the facts she has that Ghana was even getting electricity from Nigeria, as somebody has said that Ghana is self sufficient and we should copy from them.

To be quite honest with you, Nigeria supply about 7 other smaller west African countries with electricity, but that was not the basis of the problem.

Let me share some facts with you. United Kingdom has just over 60Million people (compare to Nigeria of over 140M)and they have 55,000 megawatt and only use about 30,000 at anyone time.

can you see the population diffrence, although they have advance industries.

The secret to a Greater Nigeria is the development of Power, Transport infrastructure especially Railyways and road networks and visionary leaders. let me tell you we will become truly great and power broker in Africa and by the said 2020 we will indeed becomes one of the 20 major economies in the world, but as things are now with 'impossible' mentality, 50 years we wouldn't be 50 top economy except that we will be the leading corrupt and backward country in the world.

What i can say to you from my perspective is that We shall go forward with your and my will and the special grace of God.

Yeah!  We love "hard", fight "hard" and phock "hard"! No shaking!

i am out to disagree that our local contractors cannot do the roads well like julius berger or other foriegn contractors.
the problem here is incentives. let any government give the same contract to a foriegn company and a local company at the same cost and see the local contractor doing just the same or even better work.most of our local companies are been used by the so called opliticians to do their businesses and it is simple here to notice that such a big company like julius berger cannot descend so low for such cheap businesses.
if we talk electricity supply, it is as simple and difficult as anyother thing. sometimes people talk about nigerian population but unfortunate is not like that of india and china and people even talk about size then u can also look at the usa but a dog must have a bad name to worth killing.
to me, it is part of the aso rock corruption which ribadu and co must look at first before going into the streets to look for yahoo boys.
fraud and corruptions have decided to reside in the same aso rock where the FG makes its headquaters.
if FG wants electricity for the nation, they must start from somewhere. it is unfortunate that there is even power failure in aso rock talkless of our national stadium in the presence of the whole world.
the shame is worth probing yet nothing happens and someone out there is talking about a corruption fighting organisation in nigeria.
there is no one with clear mind to fight corruption otherwise people like ribadu should have called for FG to tell us nigerians how and where all the funds provided in our budgets at least in the past years are kept.
peope decieving people

Excuses, excuses! Y don't the govt just do whatever it takes to give nigerians cinstant power supply, I suppose that would mean building enough power stations throughout the country. (which i believe is being done now) they should get on with it and not bug us down with their senseless theories of sabotage. isnt it an irresponsible govt who can be held to ransome by a very few business men? What are the laws of the land meant for?
I beg give my people light jare!

To

Militia,

Population makes every production viable, the larger the population you have the more consumption and production costs will be cheaper in the long run and cost of producing a particular products/services is quickly recoup more than if you have less people.

It also encourage inward investments because companies know they have more people to promote their goods and services to and they have the oportunity to sell.

2020 is a year being targeted for Nigeria to be among the first 20 economy of the world.

Present situation calls for drastic measures. Yar Adua promised to declare national emergency on electrictity.  I will say that he propably need more and may need to declare war on everythingg and everybody disturbing the flow of electrictity.

On the other issue of serving your country, there is no limit that you can give your country as long as others are doing the same. Whether you like it or not you will come back to Nigeria very soon and you will like to and love it. I live where I live (overseas) for the last 20 years, and home is where the heart is.

Sojourn(abroad) will never be like home even for our children. we are missing a lot and have the opportunity to say we did our best to our motherland and leave a footprint.

God continue to rescue and bless Nigeria and make her Great

Government has no further business investing in electricity. Not one kobo more. They have privatised NEPA into the PHCN, and have licensed several Independent Power Projects like Dangote, Shell and Siemens to generate power  and supply to the national grid. PHCN measures the amount of power contributed by each company and compensates them accordingly.
So government has no more business supplying electricity.

As for the reason why government sold subsidized electricity to those countries, it was and agreement among mostly those countries that the River Niger passed through.

The deal is that everybody wanted to generate electricity by building their own dam on the river Niger. Now, if you build so many dam, there'll be a total disaster.
A single dam upstream will cause serious drought downstream, and a dam downstream will cause severe flooding upstream. Then imagine if there were like 5 dams: there'll be total chaos. In fact, the Kainji dam has almost totally shrunk the river Niger from the whole of Mali. Fishing, irrigation, it's almost all gone. So I think it is only fair Nigeria agreed to supply them cheap electricity.

Either way, with the coming of the IPPs, nobody will carry on that rubbish.
It is even clearly known now that hydroelectric power, though very clean and cheap, is one of the most inefficient sources of power. So na them sabi. Contract don end.