Aside corruption, there is no other issue that has dominated our public discourse more than power. Electricity, since the early 80's, has been inadequately supplied to Nigerians. Several efforts have been taken by successive governments to improve on power generation but none has borne the required fruits. Many factors, from the sublime to the ridiculous, have been adduced to explain these failings. Fingers have been pointed at generators merchants, internal saboteurs, vandals, and even witches and wizard! This then makes me wonder if the challenges ailing the power sector are intractable or the sector is simply accursed.
Not a few Nigerians praised the appointment of Raji Fashola as the Minister of Power owing to the belief in his ability to turn the sector around. But more than six months since his appointment, there are no auspicious signs that he has the magic wand to change the fortunes of the power sector. Power generation has fallen to an all time low resulting in a national blackout some days ago when power generation fell to 0MW. Fashola won't be the first minister of power to be at his wits end over what to do about the drop in power generation. In fact, I daresay, that all his predecessors since the return to democracy in 1999 suffered similar fate. The power ministry has never lacked brilliant minds to oversee its affairs, but the insoluble problems remain.
There is no gainsaying what effects inadequate power supply continues to have on our economy. It is the chief factor why the cost of doing business in the country is alarmingly high. Which is one of the reasons the ranks of the unemployed continue to swell. The health implications resulting from the burning of hydrocarbons in fuel is another reason why something must be done about the power sector. Many Nigerians have been sent to their untimely graves after inhaling fumes from generators.
I believe it is not enough to criticize, we should all come up with practicable solutions. As a social scientist, I don't possess the requisite knowledge to offer viable solutions, but I think power should be removed from the exclusive list and placed in the concurrent list. This will enable states cater for their own power needs. Highly industrialized states like Lagos, Ogun, and Anambra will be able to attract more investors if they are allowed to generate their own power. This will in turn have a profound effect on the economy of the states as more money will be generated internally and unemployment severely dealt with. These are my thoughts on the power crisis, kindly share yours.

Introduce alternate source of energy.

Allow private individuals to come in generate electricity and distribut.

coldsummer:
Introduce alternate source of energy.

Allow private individuals to come in generate electricity and distribut.

If u have the means, generate and distribute for a fee, nobody will stop u.

Fashola should be replaced with a more competent person, he is not fit for that sector.

You mean with oil at ~$35pb?
I would suggest SCADA (an automated supervisory system tech) for monitoring both pipeline supplying fuel and power transmission lines if the govt is financially buoyant enough right now.
SCADA is what advance countries use to detect problems with long distance systems like pipeline network or transmission line networks. It involves getting vital signals like pressure variation, current variation, or voltage variation within the apparatus in question and using such event to trigger an alert that shows that things are not in order to a central location in via GSM or mobile network or satelite relays. We have GSM networks already. To me, that's like 50% of the task already done for us.

GreatEngineer:
Fashola should be replaced with a more competent person, he is not fit for that sector.

Exactly. I wonder why Buhari appointed him as power minister and worsen matter, he was given 3 offices. Until we appoint the right personnels to do the job, we will continue in this mess

asuustrike2009:

Exactly. I wonder why Buhari appointed him as power minister and worsen matter, he was given 3 offices. Until we appoint the right personnels to do the job, we will continue in this mess

I think the three offices he was saddled with are too tasking for him. The power ministry alone is enough job for any minister.

coldsummer:
Introduce alternate source of energy.

Allow private individuals to come in generate electricity and distribut.

Ultimately, private individuals cannot be excluded from power generation. All I am saying is states should be allowed to formulate their own energy policies. States can engage in PPP (Public Private Partnership) if it suits them. Or by any other means. The current system is simply asphyxiating and has made it impossible for governors to have a hold on the trajectory of the economy of their states.

Nigerians are already generating enough power to their homes and offices using generators. All they ask the government is to make fuel available regardless of the amount. If you are to combine all the energy being generated individually, you would see that Nigerians collectively post above 60,000MW of electricity.

FASHOLA SHOULD INCREASE THE NEPA TARIFF AGAIN.
TAX EVERY METRE EXTRA N15,000.
LET MINIMUM PHCN BILLIONS BE N25,000.
THEN FASH-OLE WOULD HAVE MADE HISTORY

SleekMallam:
Nigerians are already generating enough power to their homes and offices using generators. All they ask the government is to make fuel available regardless of the amount. If you are to combine all the energy being generated individually, you would see that Nigerians collectively post above 60,000MW of electricity.

Haha! I love your sarcasm. But the truth is we cannot continue this way. We are angling to become one of the world's top twenty economies in few years' time. How can we reach that height without adequate power generation? Many small scale businesses are groaning under the weight of irregular power supply. Besides, the deafening noise and attendant air pollution from generators also have pernicious effects on our health.

SleekMallam:
Nigerians are already generating enough power to their homes and offices using generators. All they ask the government is to make fuel available regardless of the amount. If you are to combine all the energy being generated individually, you would see that Nigerians collectively post above 60,000MW of electricity.

Haha! I love your sarcasm. But the truth is we cannot continue this way. We are hoping to become one of the world's top twenty economies in few years' time. How can we reach that height without adequate power generation? Many small scale businesses are groaning under the weight of irregular power supply. Besides, the deafening noise and attendant air pollution from generators also have pernicious effects on our health.

Standing5:
You mean with oil at ~$35pb?
I would suggest SCADA (an automated supervisory system tech) for monitoring both pipeline supplying fuel and power transmission lines if the govt is financially buoyant enough right now.
SCADA is what advance countries use to detect problems with long distance systems like pipeline network or transmission line networks. It involves getting vital signals like pressure variation, current variation, or voltage variation within the apparatus in question and using such event to trigger an alert that shows that things are not in order to a central location in via GSM or mobile network or satelite relays. We have GSM networks already. To me, that's like 50% of the task already done for us.

No existing monitoring system in the world today can prevent third party damage to Nigerian pipelines. As long as there is a deliberate attempt by several humans to damage the pipelines, no amount of technology can prevent it except you line soldiers who will shoot at sight along the length of all vital pipelines (which isn't possible).

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME I WILL VOICE THIS OUT.

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR POWER SECTOR IS SAME AS ALL SECTORS OF THIS COUNTRY. "THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA - YOU AND I". THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT, WHAT SECTOR HAS EVER WORKED IN NIGERIA? OTHER THAN TELCOMS (WHICH I DONT BELEVE WORKS PROPERLY SEF)

WE AS A PEOPLE HAD/HAV A FAILED NITEL, A DECAYED CIVIL SERVICE, I COMATOSE AGRIC SECTOR, A DEAD STEEL AND MINES... YOU CAN ADD YOURS.

IF WE DO NOT CHANGE AS A PEOPLE... ALL WE CAN ACHIEVE IS COSMETIC SOLUTION THAT CANNOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. THE WAY WE DO THINGS, THE WAY WE THINK, THE WAY WE MANAGE OUR RESOURCES, I DARE SAY WE ARE DOOMED.

Double

obailala:
No existing monitoring system in the world today can prevent third party damage to Nigerian pipelines. As long as there is a deliberate attempt by several humans to damage the pipelines, no amount of technology can prevent it except you line soldiers who will shoot at sight along the length of all vital pipelines (which isn't possible).

I never said SCADA will or can singlehandedly prevent vandals from striking. It can detect disturbance within long distance and wide area apparatus. With the help of arm and mobile personnels the perpetrators of vandalism can be tracked more easily.
It is very possible bros . . . believe me.

Fashola has been the worst performing minister in this dispensation after the Hon Minister of Petroleum(Buhari)!! In saner societies the incompetent duo would have long resigned.

Nusaf:

If u have the means, generate and distribute for a fee, nobody will stop u.

For this to happen, the laws as regards power generation and distribution need to be visited and reorganized to allow for .

Debonair01:
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME I WILL VOICE THIS OUT.

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR POWER SECTOR IS SAME AS ALL SECTORS OF THIS COUNTRY. "THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA - YOU AND I". THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT, WHAT SECTOR HAS EVER WORKED IN NIGERIA? OTHER THAN TELCOMS (WHICH I DONT BELEVE WORKS PROPERLY SEF)

WE AS A PEOPLE HAD/HAV A FAILED NITEL, A DECAYED CIVIL SERVICE, I COMATOSE AGRIC SECTOR, A DEAD STEEL AND MINES... YOU CAN ADD YOURS.

IF WE DO NOT CHANGE AS A PEOPLE... ALL WE CAN ACHIEVE IS COSMETIC SOLUTION THAT CANNOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. THE WAY WE DO THINGS, THE WAY WE THINK, THE WAY WE MANAGE OUR RESOURCES, I DARE SAY WE ARE DOOMED.

True talk my guy. No sector in nigeria can boast of 50% workability not even the almighty telecommunications sector. GSM and Internet in nigeria is child's play.

Debonair01:
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME I WILL VOICE THIS OUT.

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR POWER SECTOR IS SAME AS ALL SECTORS OF THIS COUNTRY. "THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA - YOU AND I". THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT, WHAT SECTOR HAS EVER WORKED IN NIGERIA? OTHER THAN TELCOMS (WHICH I DONT BELEVE WORKS PROPERLY SEF)

WE AS A PEOPLE HAD/HAV A FAILED NITEL, A DECAYED CIVIL SERVICE, I COMATOSE AGRIC SECTOR, A DEAD STEEL AND MINES... YOU CAN ADD YOURS.

IF WE DO NOT CHANGE AS A PEOPLE... ALL WE CAN ACHIEVE IS COSMETIC SOLUTION THAT CANNOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. THE WAY WE DO THINGS, THE WAY WE THINK, THE WAY WE MANAGE OUR RESOURCES, I DARE SAY WE ARE DOOMED.

Have you ever wondered what takes place in initiations into most group these day? It all boils down to the unseen evil seed being planted into people one way or the other. If we don't strengthen institutions beyond the grip of groups who are dominating us secretly and keep allowing secret groups dominate our system even the hitherto neutral folks will have to embrace corruption to survive.
It isn't hard to see why nothing works.

Declare state of emergency and deal with it..
there are untouchables in that sector.. Obj's $16bn on that sector is still fresh..now ask y government have refused to probe it..and where is Elumelu jr?