Despite privatisation of power, Nigerians are yet to ‘see the light’

When in November last year the electricity distribution and power generation companies were handed over to private operators in an exercise largely seen as transparent, many Nigerians were expectedly joyous. Even if not automatic, the hope was that the daily blackouts and power outages would be minimised until they are gradually eased out and become a feature of the past. But it is now apparent that those hopes were largely misplaced.


Almost one year after the privatisation of the power sector, Nigerians are yet to know the difference between the old discredited regime of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the new one managed by the “euphoric” investors. Indeed, the prospects are becoming gloomier as darkness is increasingly becoming a staple of our daily existence.

From Kano to Calabar, Sokoto to Port Harcourt, indeed across the country, there is hardly any part that does not experience power failure on a regular basis. In most places for several days and sometime, weeks, many people have no access to electricity to lighten the burden of living. Lack of electricity also limits their access to healthcare, education and other opportunities, including running their businesses.  Many small and medium scale businesses had been crippled due to the prohibitive cost of generating their own power. Even the big business ventures, particularly the manufacturing ones, are also feeling the biting effect of energy poverty with consequences stretching to every part of the economy.


The Dangote chain, according to its chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, spends a fortune – the average of N80 billion annually - to turn the wheels of their machines. This perhaps makes the country one of the toughest places in the world to do business. Africa’s richest man, after a tour of his cement plant at Ibese, Ogun State, explained in graphic details the enormity of the financial burden afflicting industrialists in Africa’s biggest rebased economy:

“In the last six months, we have been using diesel to produce power because our generators are made in such a way that if there is no gas, you have to use diesel. Between diesel and low fuel oil, we are spending between N230 million and N250 million per day. That has really eaten up our profit vis-a-vis last year.”

It is a frightening scenario, yet this is the stack reality that faces many business owners, particularly manufacturing concerns. Last January, a worried President Goodluck Jonathan issued a six-month ultimatum to the new power investors in the industry to improve their dismal record. The deadline lapsed without noticeable improvement in the supply of electricity to homes or industries. The new investors only waved a long list of familiar complaints which were almost tamed before the ouster of the former power minister, Professor Bart Nnaji – chiefly among which is shortage of gas supply to fire many of the power plants, and paucity of funds to upgrade decrepit infrastructure they inherited. Theft and vandalism of equipment are also listed among others.


However, we find it difficult, indeed baffling, to understand why the issue of gas supply has continued to weigh the country down - in all ramifications. Last week, the federal government announced a soft term credit of N33 billion to the distributing companies to bridge the huge metering gap in the industry which ultimately will shore up their finances and at the same time eliminate arbitrary billing of consumers. The Central Bank of Nigeria has also chipped in some N25 billion bail-out to ease the gas-to-power supply why the regulator of the sector has approved a higher gas price to make the market attractive to the producer and indeed harness the gas that is flared. The authorities must ensure that the ugly situation is redressed soonest and not the megawatts of excuses that are daily churned out from the sector.

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/the-challenge-of-electricity-supply/187661/

Ehnn Am sure this ur article doesn't Apply to Kaduna. Cos we have a lot of light. 22-24 hours. Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company ahead of em other Companies. In fact even when it rains,power doesn't twitch.

agonbello: Almost one year after the privatisation of the power sector, Nigerians are yet to know the difference between the old discredited regime of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the new one managed by the “euphoric” investors.

That's not true. There's huge difference.... unfortunately it's only in the bill

acenazt: Ehnn Am sure this ur article doesn't Apply to Kaduna. Cos we have a lot of light. 22-24 hours. Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company ahead of em other Companies.

You are absolutely ryt. Am based in Kaduna too.

In the case of Kaduna, residential areas currently enjoy electricity far better than industrial areas. However dia is an improvement, lots of it, in the industrial area too.

Sometimes I wonder if there's anything like power supply here in Asaba. What a country!

NO DOUBT ELECTRICITY SUPPLY HAS IMPROVED!!!

[b]From my personal research, having lived in different parts of the country and under different social settlement strata, I believe Nigeria's power problem rests more on power DISTRIBUTION and less on GENERATION.

Most of the distribution and transmission infrastructure in Nigeria are not only dilapidated but also over-stretched in capacity. The overwhelming rural-urban migration has caused a great burden on our social amenities; stretching them to their breaking points. The load a single transformer is made to carry is better left for the imagination. You find a situation where a single transformer is serving an overpopulated settlement of about 3 nautical miles radius. Tell me why there won't be constant breakdowns (transformers, cable cuts etc)!

Ever wonder why you experience better power supply in the electrified rural areas with less population/load?

Rural areas I have lived: Agbani (Enugu state), Adikpo (Benue state), Item (Abia state)
I was opportune to live in the above rural areas and I can tell you that I enjoyed power supply. On average, one enjoys about 18 hours of electricity per day.

Urban Areas I have lived: Aba, Portharcourt, Enugu, Lagos
Depending on the areas you live (judged by social stratification), one can go from NO ELECTRICITY to 20 hours of uninterrupted electricity supply. Places with less population and better transformer-population ratio experience better power supply compared to the slums and congested settlement nuclei which, unfortunately, majority of Nigerians live.

Conclusion:
No matter how much power we generate (1,000,000 MegaWatts) if the infrastructural aspect of TRANSMISSION and DISTRIBUTION is not addressed, we will keep living in darkness.
The part of Lagos where I presently stay enjoys, on average, 20 hours of uninterrupted power supply compared to other parts of the same Lagos where I had previously lived.
Difference? >>> Tranformer---population ratio[/b]



I will be back to count my LIKES and SHARES

*sekems out of thread*

'we are on top of the situation. we are committed to providing 24 hours electricity for all and sundry.
before December of 2014 We'll attain 5000 megawatts. please join hands with us as we help transform Nigeria .Good people, Great Nation.
#transformation Agenda.

Rivers state is trying

9ja which way forward

If I were a president, my major point agenda wld be stable electricity. I wldn't mind tackling it for the whole 4 years! Every other thing wld fall in place. God help Naija. Amen.

For this part of uyo wey i dey so nah 24/7 power supply, i no fit lie una..........

We have steady light here in lagos' the situation has improved

Not really a problem again, we are already used to alternatives energy ! Abi i lie ?

Off to my thread where am teaching real business You Can Start With Just N150 -yes! One Hundred And Fifty Naira

Nigerians Still waiting on Thomas Edison since 1960....

Giant of Africa but we are ant in all ramification, No light,No Good Road, No Pipe borne watër, No security, No Good leaders even the followers is contaminated, Education is zero, only country where people who has being ruling since Nigeria gain independence are still in power, a country where 60year old man is a youth leader. ha!!!. our Generation is a wasted generation.********sadface******

We had light for 3 days straight sometimes last week, I believe there must have been a fault somewhere else and they needed somewhere to channel some excess. We are back to normal this week

I don't know the big deal of providing light 24/7 for a country so blessed as Nigeria. It is one of the things we should have overcome since 1988.

Nwaoguta: We have steady light here in lagos' the situation has improved

wait till dry season.

Nigeria can never have a stable power supply when its still the same PDP that you are voting for.... All they do is change the container and leave the content to rot
PDP embezzling power money & destroying Nigeria power supply since 1999

APC sponsored article.
Even the devil himself knows that electricity supply has improved tremendously.

Hmmmmmmmm

donigspain: [b]From my personal research, having lived in different parts of the country and under different social settlement strata, I believe Nigeria's power problem rests more on power DISTRIBUTION and less on GENERATION.

Most of the distribution and transmission infrastructure in Nigeria are not only dilapidated but also over-stretched in capacity. The overwhelming rural-urban migration has caused a great burden on our social amenities; stretching them to their breaking points. The load a single transformer is made to carry is better left for the imagination. You find a situation where a single transformer is serving an overpopulated settlement of about 3 nautical miles radius. Tell me why there won't be constant breakdowns (transformers, cable cuts etc)!

Ever wonder why you experience better power supply in the electrified rural areas with less population/load.

Rural areas I have lived: Agbani (Enugu state), Adikpo (Benue state), Item (Abia state)
I was opportune to live in the above rural areas and I can tell you that I enjoyed power supply. On average, one enjoys about 18 hours of electricity per day.

Urban Areas I have lived: Aba, Portharcourt, Enugu, Lagos
Depending on the areas you live (judged by social stratification), one can go from NO ELECTRICITY to 20 hours of uninterrupted electricity supply. Places with less population and better transformer-population ratio experience better power supply compared to the slums and congested settlement nuclei which, unfortunately, majority of Nigerians live.

Conclusion:
No matter how much power we generate (1,000,000 MegaWatts) if the infrastructural aspect of TRANSMISSION and DISTRIBUTION is not addressed, we will keep living in darkness.
The part of Lagos where I presently stay enjoys, on average, 20 hours of uninterrupted power supply compared to other parts of the same Lagos where I had previously lived.
Difference? >>> Tranformer---population ratio[/b]



[size=18pt]I will be back to count my LIKES and SHARES[/size]

*sekems out of thread*

Nairalanders are wicked... So no one is nice enough to give this guy some cheap "Likes"?

Power supply has improved significantly over the past 2 weeks here in Ibadan

I spend more on Petrol these days that I begin to wonder if PHCN still exist Yet, some will say the power situation has improved significantly in an area.

keepping my fingers crossed

We No Get Lite Since a Day Before Yesterday!

Diaris God o.

Here in Ile Ife, Osun State, it is now a worse situation. We used to have light for 18-20hrs per day before PHCN was sold to this useless Ibadan Electricity Disstribution Company. In my area now, plans are on ground to deal with d so called NEPA officers!

Basic problems

1.We are not generating enough electricity.....5000MW....compared to South Africa's 44000MW.

2.Distribution infrastructure is out of date....and needs updating.

.

D situation in asaba is evn d worst! Wia livin in darkness ova hia..Godforbid!

Painful!

Electricity here is superb

I have been in Abidjan for more than 3 weeks now with uninterrupted power supply, woow Nigeria is indeed a very corrupt Nation.