Why Nigeria is Experiencing Improved Supply of Electricity

Nigeria is experiencing improved supply of electricity

Nigerians have been experiencing improved power supply in recent weeks as buttressed by data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The daily tracker of Electricity generation in Nigeria shows supply peaked at a record high of 5,043 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, 1st September 2022, an 8.1% increase when compared to 4,664MW recorded a day before.

Electricity supply has been on an upward trend since the labour union strike action earlier in August, where electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) grounded the operations of the TCN, leading to a nationwide blackout, a move which saw DisCos lose an estimated N2.94 billion in potential revenue.

...

What consumers are saying

Some Nigerians who spoke to Nairametrics have expressed some level of satisfaction with the recent stability in the electricity supply in their areas, while some feared it could affect their transformers. Here is what they are saying:

According to Taibat Towoboade who lives in Ikodoru, Lagos State, she explained that they now enjoy 23 hours of uninterrupted power supply in her house daily, which usually was around 15 hours of interrupted supply.

“Usually, I would be worried to charge my gadgets and appliances, but lately, I do not have to worry about that, as it is almost certain that there will be light, and would only go off for 1 hour during the day,” she said.

Tunde Akinyele a resident in Ogun State also noted the better state of power supply in his area. “To my surprise, we now have light for about 7 to 8 hours daily, that is like a miracle because it is usually about 3hrs in a day at best,” he said.

“Although this comes with a downside, because now our transformers and cables are easily spoilt, when the power stays for longer than usual, which would take about two days before it is being repaired,” he added.

Miss Omolabake, who lives in Agbado, Lagos State said she had a power supply for four days uninterrupted, which is something hardly seen in her area.

On the other hand, a Twitter user with the account name @Maiomoko posted that some people living in Abuja allegedly complained to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) that the improved power supply is affecting their businesses.
The post reads: “I heard some people somewhere went to complain in AEDC office that the regular power supply now is detrimental to their businesses. In Nigeria, by Nigerians.”

While reacting to the post, @ayobamibe said, “How will phone charging, petrol sales, and generator repair sell well if there is constant light?”, and another said, “Omo whatever they did to our light is working, generator noise has reduced well enough to say thanks to those in charge of electricity.”

Why power is improving

Reports reaching Nairametrics indicate some of the reasons for improved power supply are not unconnected to some of the recent policy changes introduced earlier in the year.

Tariff Adjustments
A reduction in tariff shortfalls which has been the bane of investments in the power sector has also been a major factor in improved power supply.

The first is the frequent increase in electricity tariffs which now complies with the requirements of the Multi-year Tariff Order (MYTO).
Before now, electricity tariffs are increased only after the approval of the government leading to tariff subsidies or tariff shortfalls that have plagued the industry.

However, since a policy review was conducted tariffs are increased every six months allowing the sector operates at a cost-reflective tariff.

Partial Activation
Industry sources also point to the Partial Activation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) which commenced in July as a major factor leading to an improved power supply.

Sources explain that Partial Activation requires players in the sector to meet their minimum requirements.
For example, the Power Generating Companies must generate as much power as is available in their contracted capacities. Failure to generate contracted power means they pay penalties.

When power is generated, the Transmission company must be able to evacuate and wheel all the power generated. If they do not wheel all the power, they face penalties.

And when power is wheeled, the distribution companies are expected to distribute all the power wheeled to them. Failure to meet that requirement exposes them to penalties.

Details of the partial activation are detailed in a report from Oak Legal.

Central Bank
The final reason adduced for the improved power supply is billions of naira in central bank intervention funds lent to Discos for meters, CAPEX, and operational expenses.

The CBN explained in its monetary policy committee meeting that the Cumulative disbursement under the NEMSF-2 currently stands at N254.46 billion.

The bank explained that the money was given to Distribution Companies (DisCos) for their Operational Expenditure (OpEx) and Capital Expenditure (CapEx), under the Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilization Facility – Phase 2 (NEMSF-2).

A further N47.82 billion has been disbursed under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), for the procurement and installation of 865,956 meters across the country.

Industry players indicate the funding has provided stability for Discos which is also resulting in improved power supply.

https://nairametrics.com/2022/09/04/nigerians-are-experiencing-improved-power-supply-as-generation-reaches-a-record-high-since-august-2022/

5k megawatt for 200milion people?? This is not worth celebrating atal. South Africa with just 50m people is generating over 28k megawatts,imagine. USA almost 150k megawatts! So whats worth celebrating in a temporarily stable and meagre 5k megawatt which will even trip off in few days time in d name of grid collapse. Some towns in akwa ibom and rivers have not had light for 3years but their govts are busy building ten lane roads and flyovers. No be juju b dat??

I KNEW BUHARI WOULD DELIVER ON ELECTRICITY BEFORE THE END OF HIS TENURE, LIKE HE PROMISED.

WELL DONE MR PRESIDENT.

WHAT WE AWAIT NOW IS TO HIT 6,000 TO 7,000 MEGAWATTS BEFORE THE END OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.

Quintopia:
Hope this good news gets to front page, because all the bad news gets there.

Some people don't like good news, unfortunately. Watch it, they will soon arrive.

Too long a balderdash.

Audio improvement, in my area in Borikiri, Port Harcourt power supply is still the same as before. Abi dem dey select where them like dey improve?

ElSudani:


Some people don't like good news unfortunately. Watch it, they will soon arrive.

Mad people in a mad country


Clap for them for unstable light

OP u will still collect USB cord for that your neck. Mayb in the East and North.

OriOko88:
5k megawatt for 200milion people?? This is not worth celebrating atal. South Africa with just 50m people is generating over 28k megawatts,imagine. USA almost 150k megawatts! So whats worth celebrating in a temporarily stable and meagre 5k megawatt which will even trip off in few days time in d name of grid collapse. Some towns in akwa ibom and rivers have not had light for 3years but their govts are busy building ten lane roads and flyovers. No be juju b dat??

ABEG SHUT UP. Power supply takes a long while to get right for a huge population like Nigeria.

South Africa has been building power infrastructure since the 1800s while Nigeria's first power plant, Kainji dam, was commissioned only in 1964 after independence, since all the British colonisers did was loot.

If they elect you, you will encounter the same difficulties of previous leaders.

Quintopia:


ABEG SHUT UP. If they elect you, you will encounter the same difficulties of previous leaders.

Shut ur stinking mouth. Stop celebrating mediocrity. What difficulty is there in solving power issue,that most countries have solved since the 80s and moved on to other challenges. You lots will keep re enforcing failures because it's heredity and in ur DNA. The joke is on you!

OriOko88:

Shut ur stinking mouth. Stop celebrating mediocrity. What difficulty is there in solving power issue,that most countries have solved since the 80s and moved on to other challenges. You lots will keep re enforcing failures because it's heredity and in ur DNA. The joke is on you!

MUMU. Which ''most countries'' have solved power issues?

Is it not your colonised head that makes you think ''most countries'' are industrialised western countries like USA, UK, and Germany?

For your information, those 'advanced' nations make up less than 25% of the world.

MAJORITY of nations on Earth are developing nations like Nigeria, and they ALL have power supply issues, from India to Pakistan to Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Paraguay, Jamaica, Ghana, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Guatemala, Malawi, Nepal, and other countries you know nothing about.

See his mouth like ''most countries''. HOW MANY OF YOU know anything about country beyond USA, UK, Germany, Holland, China, France and 'Dubai'?

You don't know the real world of 200+ countries, so SHUSH.

Quintopia:


MUMU. Which ''most countries'' have solved power issues?

Is it not your dumb colonised head that makes you think ''most countries'' are industrialised western countries like USA, UK, and Germany?

For your information, the 'advanced' nations make up less than 25% of the world.

MAJORITY of nations on Earth are developing nations like Nigeria, and they ALL have power supply issues, from India to Pakistan to Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Paraguay, Jamaica, Ghana, Zambia, Guatemala, and other countries you know nothing about.

See his mouth like ''most countries''. HOW MANY OF YOU know anything about anywhere apart from USA, UK, Germany, Holland, France and 'Dubai'?

You don't know the real world of 200+ countries.

Rubbish.

Your mumu is legendry..now compare the countries you categorized as developing as Nigeria by the amount of power they're generating. Compare the power condition of Nearby Ghana to Nigeria..or compare the power generation size of Pakistan who almost has d same population as Nigeria with Nigeria,let's see. State the amount of power being generated by those developing countries u put on there side by side wit Nigeria. Mumu analyst

OriOko88:

Your mumu is legendry..now compare the countries you categorized as developing as Nigeria by the amount of power they're generating. Compare the power condition of Nearby Ghana to Nigeria..or compare the power generation size of Pakistan who almost has d same population as Nigeria with Nigeria,let's see. State the amount of power being generated by those developing countries u put on there side by side wit Nigeria. Mumu analyst

YOU TELL US, since you claim to ''know''.

Stupid dunce calling Ghana of 20 million people.

Why should Ghana not have better power supply with such a tiny population?

The smaller a country, the easier it is to supply it with power. That is why large developing nations like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria etc, suffer acute power shortages, and require more power investment over more years to reach full coverage than say Rwanda, Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Namibia or Benin Republic.

Don't use your common sense, you hear? Mumu X 1000.

No big deal here every rain fall season Nigerians experience good power supply, dry season will tell the full story if there's any significant changes

Quintopia:


YOU TELL US, since you claim to ''know''.

Stupid dunce calling Ghana of 20 million people.

Why should Ghana not have better power supply with such a tiny population?

The smaller a country, the easier it is to supply it with power. That is why large developing nations like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria etc, suffer acute power shortages, and require more power investment over more years to reach full coverage than say Rwanda, Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Namibia or Benin Republic.

Don't use your common sense, you hear? Stupid mumu.

You're just bleating like a goat,giving vague comparison here and there. Why not post the power generation of Pakistan and Bangladesh so we could see that they're also generating 5k megawatts capacity as Nigeria. They have almost d same size as Nigeria. Post their power generation now let's see. Ignoramus. The fool is saying the bigger d country the bigger the power problem. That means big countries like Russia,china and brazil too are experiencing power problems because of their big sizes. Ode ni bobo i sha. See idiotic comparison

sanpipita:
No big deal here every rain fall season Nigerians experience good power supply, dry season will tell the full story if there's any significant changes

You're talking rubbish. People never reported having 4 days of continuous supply or 23 hrs supply a day in previous 'rainy seasons'.

Quintopia:


MUMU. Which ''most countries'' have solved power issues?

Is it not your dumb colonised head that makes you think ''most countries'' are industrialised western countries like USA, UK, and Germany?

For your information, those 'advanced' nations make up less than 25% of the world.

MAJORITY of nations on Earth are developing nations like Nigeria, and they ALL have power supply issues, from India to Pakistan to Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Paraguay, Jamaica, Ghana, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Guatemala, Malawi, Nepal, and other countries you know nothing about.

See his mouth like ''most countries''. HOW MANY OF YOU know anything about country beyond USA, UK, Germany, Holland, China, France and 'Dubai'?

You don't know the real world of 200+ countries, so SHUSH.

Why must you be amongs the failed/failing countries.

You are like the students who are not bordered they failed in class just because many others failed.

Where was Nigeria and China in 1960? Wheew is Nigeria today and where is China?

Quintopia:


ABEG SHUT UP. Power supply takes a long while to get right for a huge population like Nigeria.

South Africa has been building power infrastructure since the 1800s while Nigeria's first power plant, Kainji dam, was commissioned only in 1964 after independence, since all the British colonisers did was loot.

If they elect you, you will encounter the same difficulties of previous leaders.

But Fashola said Nigeria’s power problem is not rocket science. He was the minister of power for four years and no tangible improvement in power transmission which is the missing link in the chain. Fashola flopped spectacularly.

Tinubu also told Nigerians in 2014 that the only way to get steady power supply was to vote out Jonathan…but going by current realities and hindsight, everyone knows that’s a barefaced lie.

OriOko88:

You're just bleating like a goat,giving vague comparison here and there. Why not post the power generation of Pakistan and Bangladesh so we could see that they're also generating 5k megawatts capacity as Nigeria. They have almost d same size as Nigeria. Post their power generation now let's see. Ignoramus. The fool is saying the bigger d country the bigger the power problem. That means big countries like Russia,china and brazil too are experiencing power problems because of their big sizes. Ode ni bobo i sha. See idiotic comparison

Ode, I said among DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, it is a fact that the bigger the country (eg India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), the more acute the power problems. So why are you mentioning Russia and China? Are those developing nations?
Pakistan power crisis
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Pakistan-blackouts-choke-economy-as-China-power-plants-go-unpaid

India power crisis
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/explained-why-india-is-facing-longest-power-cuts-in-6-years/articleshow/91198487.cms

As far as power generation, Nigeria's issue is not power generation capacity but rather power distribution. So asking us to name Pakistan's generation is irrelevant. Nigeria's installed power generation capacity is over 13,000 megawatts which is sufficient in the short to medium term. The ongoing Siemens power deal (which you know nothing about) is aimed at improving the national grid and its distribution capacity, so that the nation can generate and distribute more power across the country.

Quintopia:


You're talking rubbish. People never reported having 4 days of continuous supply or 23 hrs supply a day in previous 'rainy seasons'.

It's a yearly occurrence during rainfall season, people experience better power supply during rainy season, I don't understand why you are going around insulting people, Siemens deal you talk about has barely started, equipments are still being brought in.

EvangDrGeo:


Why must you be amongs the failed/failing countries.

You are like the students who are not bordered they failed in class just because many others failed.

Where was Nigeria and China in 1960? Wheew is Nigeria today and where is China?

Developing nations are not ''failed, failing countries''. THEY ARE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

This misunderstanding of the world is why so many of you are drowning in inferiority complex, because you think being in development is ''failure''.

You talk of China in 1960. Are you prepared to do what China did to get where they are today?

Are you aware that China banned all imports for 3 decades or more up till the 1990s, forcing everyone but the very richest to go around in bicycles, and buy ONLY made in China goods, regardless of product quality?

When your daddy was driving that Peugeot 504 or Mercedes 280s in the 1980s, his Chinese counterpart was riding a bicycle to work.

And all this was enforced by a brutal one party dictatorship that murdered and jailed countless millions of opposition figures, in a brutal, repressive crackdown that remains till today, with no real freedoms or human rights.

ARE YOU READY TO GO THROUGH THAT IN NIGERIA TODAY in order to be industrialised and self sufficient in the next 20 to 30 years?

If you're not, then don't compare yourself with China.

You people only see the shiny bright lights of these countries, but you don't take the time and effort to learn what they actually did to attain their wealth.

The USA and Europe gained all their wealth by enslaving and looting the entire world population, destroying civilizations left, right and centre.

Do you wish to take that path? Oya go and invade your neighbours and seize their land and resources and kill their people.

That's what Britain and co did to be rich.

Don't just admire those countries. Study what they did to be rich and developed.

If you cannot replicate their evil, then don't feel inferior to them.

sanpipita:


It's a yearly occurrence during rainfall season, people experience better power supply during rainy season, I don't understand why you are going around insulting people, Siemens deal you talk about has barely started, equipments are still being brought in.

STOP LYING. In previous years we were generating 3000+ megawatts at best, including during the rainy season. The current improvement is not just about ''rainy season'', but actual improvement in power generation and distribution capacity, surpassing 5,043 megawatts.

Quintopia:


STOP LYING. In previous years we were generating 3000+ megawatts at best, including during the rainy season. The current improvement is not just about ''rainy season'', but actual improvement in power generation and distribution capacity, surpassing 5,043 megawatts.

Power supply improving during rainy season is something everyone in Nigeria has experienced and will agree with me on, let's wait till dry season to see what happens

sanpipita:


Power supply improving during rainy season is something everyone in Nigeria has experienced and will agree with me on, let's wait till dry season to see what happens

IT HAS NEVER IMPROVED TO THIS LEVEL, WHATEVER THE 'SEASON'.

WHY? BECAUSE POWER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION HAS SURPASSED 5,000 MW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY.

Quintopia:


IT HAS NEVER IMPROVED TO THIS LEVEL, WHATEVER THE 'SEASON'.

WHY? BECAUSE POWER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION HAS SURPASSED 5,000 MW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY.

https://www.thecable.ng/nigeria-records-5377mw-electricity-peak-generation/amp

Importantly in that link check the month.

See the countries that you are comparing Nigeria with. When it suits your narrative, you use United States and Europe ( example: even developed countries like America and Japan borrow money and have huge debts) and when it doesn’t, you say Nigeria still and developing country. That’s the mark of mediocrity.

Quintopia:


MUMU. Which ''most countries'' have solved power issues?

Is it not your dumb colonised head that makes you think ''most countries'' are industrialised western countries like USA, UK, and Germany?

For your information, those 'advanced' nations make up less than 25% of the world.

MAJORITY of nations on Earth are developing nations like Nigeria, and they ALL have power supply issues, from India to Pakistan to Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Paraguay, Jamaica, Ghana, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Guatemala, Malawi, Nepal, and other countries you know nothing about.

See his mouth like ''most countries''. HOW MANY OF YOU know anything about country beyond USA, UK, Germany, Holland, China, France and 'Dubai'?

You don't know the real world of 200+ countries, so SHUSH.

sanpipita:


https://www.thecable.ng/nigeria-records-5377mw-electricity-peak-generation/amp

Importantly in that link check the month.

Fair enough. Thanks for the correction. Blame the Nairametrics site for the mix-up, as they called it a 'record high'.

https://nairametrics.com/2022/09/04/nigerians-are-experiencing-improved-power-supply-as-generation-reaches-a-record-high-since-august-2022/

Nevertheless, the current 5,043 represents the highest level of generation and distribution in the last few years, and so remains commendable.

Uchek:
See the countries that you are comparing Nigeria with.

Why should you not compare Nigeria with those countries? Is it not human beings that live there? Or you think those countries don't have resources of their own? You think only Nigeria has resources?

Even the oil you think you have, UAE has three times your reserves, and exports thrice your number of barrels per day for their tiny 9 million population. Yet you people think you should be 'like Dubai' because you 'have oil'. No sir. Your 200 million population means your oil and gas revenue and annual budget of 35 billion dollars are grossly insufficient to develop your country. You need further economic diversification, and that takes decades to achieve.

So instead of going around saying your country is ''failed'', recognise your true situation of being a developing country, and stop living in fantasy land, in which you could easily be ''like Dubai'' and ''like the USA'' (whose annual budget is 7.6 trillion dollars) if only those 'corrupt leaders' would 'stop stealing all our money'.

Which money do you have?

It is the height of ignorance to reason that way. The UK, France, Germany etc all have annual budgets surpassing 2 trillion dollars. Nigeria is a poor country compared to those nations, and it has absolutely nothing to do with ''our leaders''.

When it suits your narrative, you use United States and Europe ( example: even developed countries like America and Japan borrow money and have huge debts) and when it doesn’t, you say Nigeria still a developing country. That’s the mark of mediocrity.

Sorry I've no idea what you're on about here.

OriOko88:
5k megawatt for 200milion people?? This is not worth celebrating atal. South Africa with just 50m people is generating over 28k megawatts,imagine. USA almost 150k megawatts! So whats worth celebrating in a temporarily stable and meagre 5k megawatt which will even trip off in few days time in d name of grid collapse. Some towns in akwa ibom and rivers have not had light for 3years but their govts are busy building ten lane roads and flyovers. No be juju b dat??

One step at a time.
Nigeria as a nation is still developing and despite our slow pace Nigeria is still better than many other countries torn apart by war, economic and financial crises.
Nigeria ought not to be at this level especially when compared to India as both countries went on this development journey bout the same time and now India is far ahead of Nigeria almost in every sector.
We hope things get better and this news is one of the signs of things getting better so let's learn to appreciate it. We will get there too someday

TheWolfen:

One step at a time.
Nigeria as a nation is still developing and despite our slow pace Nigeria is still better than many other countries torn apart by war, economic and financial crises.
Nigeria ought not to be at this level especially when compared to India as both countries went on this development journey bout the same time and now India is far ahead of Nigeria almost in every sector.
We hope things get better and this news is one of the signs of things are getting better so let's learn to appreciate it. We get there too someday

Please, how is India ''far ahead of Nigeria in almost every sector''?

They may be ahead, but there is no way they are ''far ahead''. India is still a developing country with high levels of corruption, mismanagement, mass poverty, illiteracy, and dirty cities with open defecation, slums, power cuts, etc.

They are not ''far ahead'' of Nigeria in any respect. The size of their country means they have an abundance of human and natural resources, They have also done well in economic diversification and taxation, giving them an annual budget of 527 billion dollars.

So they can generally do more stuff, like build space rockets etc. But in terms of living standards, they are not 'far ahead' of Nigeria or indeed Africa as a whole.