MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has bemoaned the failure of the Federal Government to deliver in critical power sector despite raising hopes of Nigerians when they came into power about two years ago. The Minister made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja during the monthly Power Sector Dialogue Series with theme, 2016 Power Sector Review and 2017 Power Policy Direction organised by the Nigeria Electricity hub, a subsidiary of NEXTIER Power, a leading policy advisory firm with a focus on the Nigerian electricity market.

The Minister also admitted that he is facing insurmountable tasks in the power sector but disclosed that there are some policy directions for the power sector in 2017 aimed at providing incremental, stable and uninterrupted power supply to Nigerians. Speaking on 2016, Fashola reacted to the call for the reversal of the privatisation of the power assets, saying that it will be almost impossible to reverse, as the exercise is just three years old, and needs time to mature. In his words, “We should think on what to do to make it work better, instead of cancelling it, because that will only take us backward to the beginning.” The Minister said every time we cancel contracts we send negative signals to our foreign investors that we don’t respect agreements, saying with privatisation, government is now a policy maker and a regulator.

On the other challenges facing the sector, the Minister stated that accurate demographic data is very critical in the planning and provision of adequate electricity supply to the citizenry, and lamented that lack of proper planning has hampered the delivery of electricity in the country over the years. According to him, it is important to know how many we are so as to know how much power to provide, and the number of consumers to be supplied electricity. In addition, on the non-payment of outstanding debts owed Distribution Companies, DISCOs, the Minister assured his audience that government will off-set these after proper verification, pointing out that the present administration had inherited accumulated debts prior to the privatisation exercise.

On the issue of metering, Fashola further stated that government has directed distribution companies to bridge the metering gap in the country so as to end the estimated billings of consumers. Looking forward, Fashola stated that the government is geared towards ensuring that everyone in the system gets paid, putting in place better governance and institutional frameworks, more sanctions for energy theft, ensuring better contract performance and sanctions for nonperformance, as well as providing electricity access to rural dwellers.

The Minister further revealed that the existing contracts for 2,000 constituency electricity projects under the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, will soon be completed, adding that the government will be looking at expanding the generation, transmission and distribution aspect within the electricity value chain by encouraging more technical partners and other investors to come into the power sector and explore other energy resources in more secured environments in the country.

http://nigerianpilot.com/power-sector-crisis-fashola-admits-failure/

Rocket science

It is now rocket science.

It's not easy

Waoh..

Afonjas are largely incompetent so nobody is surprised. They never got anywhere on merit but by political ass licking and then their incompetence is exposed

Fashola power generation is now rocket science abi. Well I'll take solace in the fact that all power belong to God.

You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free

During GEJ'S time, my pure water dey block inside fridge o

HONOROBLE MINISTER OF DARKNESS

basilo102:
Afonjas are largely incompetent so nobody is surprised. They never got anywhere on merit but by political ass licking and then their incompetence is exposed

u dey mind those fake certificate Adidas face

Now he will appreciate Barth Nnaji

Those that said critics are the worst performers did not lie at all.

Power problem has become a demon in Nigeria that can not be cast out by the so called competent minister. I usually become pessimistic when I think about the future of Nigeria considering the "I don't care" attitude of our leaders.

Fashola, call bath nnaji.
Surely, this is not rocket science

idupaul:
Now he will appreciate Barth Nnaji

Not really..
During Barth Nnaji's time, the minister was in charge of generation, transmission and distribution, Right now, Fashola is in charge of Transmission only and that has been out sourced.


Right now, Nigeria doesn't need a minister of power.

AZeD1:

Not really..
During Barth Nnaji's time, the minister was in charge of generation, transmission and distribution, Right now, Fashola is in charge of Transmission only and that has been out sourced.


Right now, Nigeria doesn't need a minister of power.

So how many extra MW HAS Fashola added to transmission ...the answer is zero, in six months Barth Nnaji added about 2000 Mws to the grid

Hmm

All they wanted was power by all means and at all cost. I dont believe they have anything to offer us . God will see us through .

The Lagos-Ibadam expressway media houses are too far away to cover his sorry behind with paid articles.. In Lagos they will be raking in billions every months from taxes coming from federal government investments, yet their output can barely beat that of poor states that make in a year what they make in two months. After all that, a mercenary press crowns them "action governors".. Now is the opportunity to show "action" and he is bereft of ideas..

idupaul:


So how many extra MW HAS Fashola added to transmission ...the answer is zero, on six months Barth Nnaji added about 2000 Mws to the grid

Barth Nnaji added nada......
You can't build a power plant in 6 months so were did Barth Nnaji get the 2k MW he added?

Its not Fashola's job anymore to add MW's, that's for private investors and that side is controlled by NERC.

So sad.

AZeD1:

Barth Nnaji added nada......
You can't build a power plant in 6 months

If this is correct why did Fashola make the 6 months statement.

amarilo:
If this is correct why did Fashola make the 6 months statement.

You should direct that question to Fashola, he made it not me.

AZeD1:

Barth Nnaji added nada......
You can't build a power plant in 6 months so were did Barth Nnaji get the 2k MW he added?

Its not Fashola's job anymore to add MW's, that's for private investors and that side is controlled by NERC.

He got gas to reach uncommisioned them all plants from OBJ era and got them running ..You just said Fashola is in charge of Transmission and now you are saying it not his call , you are confusing me oo

AZeD1:

You should direct that question to Fashola, he made it not me.

Since you know, why are you defending him?

idupaul:


He got gas to reach uncommisioned them all plants from OBJ era and got them running ..You just said Fashola is in charge of Transmission and now you are saying it not his call , you are confusing me oo

Can you point the power plants he got gas to?
Fashola is in charge of transmission, they can only transmit what is generated....

jusRadical:



Since you know, why are you defending him?

Defending who?

AZeD1:

Barth Nnaji added nada......
You can't build a power plant in 6 months so were did Barth Nnaji get the 2k MW he added?

Its not Fashola's job anymore to add MW's, that's for private investors and that side is controlled by NERC.

Who do you think runs oversight on NERC? Fashola has the responsibility as the minister of darkness...sorry ehm... Minister of power to ensure the gencos produce enough power, the transmission gives to distribution and that distribution doesn't dump load. He also reserves the power to sanction any erring bodies. He can be likened to the cbn governor for power.

So look for another excuse please. This one just got busted.

bishopkay:


Who do you think runs oversight on NERC? Fashola has the responsibility as the minister of darkness...sorry ehm... Minister of power to ensure the gencos produce enough power, the transmission gives to distribution and that distribution doesn't dump load. He also reserves the power to sanction any erring bodies. He can be likened to the cbn governor for power.

So look for another excuse please. This one just got busted.

Minister power == Minister of Finance
NERC == CBN.


If a Genco doesn't produce anything, what will Fashola do? Fire the CEO?

Besides NERC is not under the ministry of Power.

Small info to ignoramuses like you.
AES has not generated 1MW for close to a year or even more than because Sahara Energy refused to give them gas. When Egbin was owned by the government, the minister could issue a directive and it would be done, but now it's in private hands, all the minister can do beg and nothing more.

So about 200MW is not generated because Sahara is trying to buy a company that doesn't want to sell.