₦airaland Forum

obailala:
The problem goes beyond just the prepaid meters. Everyone getting a prepaid meter would force the DISCOs to sit up but that's not really where the problem ends.

Laws still need to be amended to permit every Tom Dick and Harry generate and sell power. Currently we're told this is the case, that things have now been liberalised and that individuals can generate and sell but that is not completely true. The DISCOs still exist as large monopolies who already own all the areas. I understand that as an individual who owns a large turbine in a place like Ikeja for instance, even though the current law states that you can sell your excess power to neighbours, the what they did not tell you is that you must get permission from IKDC before you can takeover any of their existing customers, and IKDC will never grant you that permission. This problem has to be solved by the National Assembly.

I agree with you.

In Germany for instance, any private owner of solar installation can sell their excess power to the central utility. The Nigerian government doesn't have any plan for our industrialization hence their lackadaisical attitude to power generation and distribution. It's not rocket science!

shadeyinka:
I agree with you.

In Germany for instance, any private owner of solar installation can sell their excess power to the central utility. The Nigerian government doesn't have any plan for our industrialization hence their lackadaisical attitude to power generation and distribution. It's not rocket science!

Absolutely! The law permitting any individual to generate and sell power is still being played with. On the surface, it appears that it exists and that power generation and sales have been decentralised, but the wordings of the current law makes it impossible for anyone to really delve into power generation and distribution business. The current big DISCOs are enjoying a senseless monopoly and the owners of these DISCOs who are very powerful men (e.g. OBJ, IBB, Emeka Offor etc) are the ones ensuring that that crippling monopoly remains.

Tbis is a problem the NASS needs to sit up and solve.

asuustrike1:
So what is the way forward?

Unfortunately, it's still the FG that can solve the problem. But as per solution: it depends on whether we want to build on the existing structure or a total overhaul.

On the existing structure:
1. Force discos to supply everyone with prepaid meters. Criminalise estimated billing in within 3 months. Discos would not be able to complain of customers owing them
2. Harness every source of energy (Hydro, Solar, Gas) towards generation of electricity. Sell each to hundreds of small disgos thereby also decentralising generation and preventing monopolies. The rate of charges should reflect the source of driving power. It should be cheaper running on hydro than gas
3. Allow individual homes to be able to sell power to their domestic grids through a suitable metering device. Government should actually encourage this by subsidizing the importation of solar panels. Just imagine that 10% of houses in Nigeria have their roofs covered with solar panels. The energy output is substantial during the day.

obailala:
Using Lagos as an example, Lagos is controlled by two powerful monopolies; Ikeja distribution company (mainland) and Eko distribution company (island). As an electricity consumer living in the mainland for example, no matter how messed up you think IKDC are treating you, you cannot decide to leave them and join EDC because IKDC is the sole license owner in the mainland so you are stuck with them no matter their performance.

It's just like saying you must use MTN because of your house address. Irrespective of how bad the mtn network and services are, you have no right to use another sim card due to you home location.

Are you implying that the government give licenses to more discos ? So how would customers move from one operator to another? Would there be different distribution lines in a town?.

obailala:
Absolutely! The law permitting any individual to generate and sell power is still being played with. On the surface, it appears that it exists and that power generation and sales have been decentralised, but the wordings of the current law makes it impossible for anyone to really delve into power generation and distribution business. The current big DISCOs are enjoying a senseless monopoly and the owners of these DISCOs who are very powerful men (e.g. OBJ, IBB, Emeka Offor etc) are the ones ensuring that that crippling monopoly remains.

Tbis is a problem the NASS needs to sit up and solve.

I honestly think there is a grand conspiracy between highly placed people in government and the monopolies that own the electricity generation and distribution.

Fashola attempted to force the discos to supply prepaid meters unfortunately, some higher powers put him to order. I know how government works: it's all about private benefits and hypocrisy.

asuustrike1:
Are you implying that the government give licenses to more discos ? So how would customers move from one operator to another? Would there be different distribution lines in a town?.

There wouldnt be a need for new distribution lines, the existing distribution infrastructure can be shared. That's actually how it's done in more developed nations although I agree it would be very difficult to attain that level in Nigeria due to the currently rotten infrastructure.

obailala:
There wouldnt be a need for new distribution lines, the existing distribution infrastructure can be shared. That's actually how it's done in more developed nations although I agree it would be very difficult to attain that level in Nigeria due to the currently rotten infrastructure.

Then who controls the distribution lines?

shadeyinka:
I honestly think there is a grand conspiracy between highly placed people in government and the monopolies that own the electricity generation and distribution.

Fashola attempted to force the discos to supply prepaid meters unfortunately, some higher powers put him to order. I know how government works: it's all about private benefits and hypocrisy.

Of course, just like every other thing which doesnt work in Nigeria, there's always a powerful cabal which benefits from the non-functionality and which would ensure that they resist any change. Power supply is obviously not rocket science, Fashola was right when he made that statement. But where he failed was by underestimating the strenght and political influence of the cabals (a.k.a. the "witches and wizards and principalities and powers" according to Prof Nebo the ex power minister) which would fight day and night to ensure power never comes to Nigeria.

asuustrike1:
Then who controls the distribution lines?

The competing DISCOs can still control the lines under a shared agreement.

obailala:
The competing DISCOs can still control the lines under a shared agreement.

Hmmm!. I wonder what Fashola was thinking when he said anyone can generate and distribute 10mw

asuustrike1:
Which church does that if I may ask?

RCCG & CanaanLand

gabicon:
RCCG & CanaanLand

Hmmm!

asuustrike1:
Hmmm!. I wonder what Fashola was thinking when he said anyone can generate and distribute 10mw

Yes that's true according to the current law, but the tiny prints in that same law makes it impractical.

obailala:
There wouldnt be a need for new distribution lines, the existing distribution infrastructure can be shared. That's actually how it's done in more developed nations although I agree it would be very difficult to attain that level in Nigeria due to the currently rotten infrastructure.

All these are just like subtle attempt at defending a failing govt. Let them solve prepaid metre issue. Anything short of that is a scam.
When fashola was appointed in late 2015, one of the first thing he did was to increase energy rates while he scrapped the service charge. Let him measure what the end users are consuming first via prepaid metering because any attempt at improving power supply without measurement will lead to wider error margin in the current estimated billing system.

obailala:
Ahaa.. there you go! Returning to a centralised grid again.

Regional is not 'centralised'.

It would mean that those regions that produce electricity would be able to industrialise. Those that do not will continue to starve.

obailala:
Of course, just like every other thing which doesnt work in Nigeria, there's always a powerful cabal which benefits from the non-functionality and which would ensure that they resist any change. Power supply is obviously not rocket science, Fashola was right when he made that statement. But where he failed was by underestimating the strenght and political influence of the cabals (a.k.a. the "witches and wizards and principalities and powers" according to Prof Nebo the ex power minister) which would fight day and night to ensure power never comes to Nigeria.

But this is when the greatest principality of Nigeria the president should have stepped in.

The Nigerian president is so powerful that nothing is impossible with him. But our president seems to have other agenda. In my honest opinion, Buhari isn't part of the "financial cabal" but his lack of action is disturbing. Even Donald Trump is not as constitutionally empowered like the president of Nigeria.

The Nigerian president is programmed and empowered to succeed in almost anything he wants to do BUT Does the president want to solve our power and economic problem?

CodeTemplar:
All these are just like subtle attempt at defending a failing govt. Let them solve prepaid metre issue. Anything short of that is a scam.
When fashola was appointed in late 2015, one of the first thing he did was to increase energy rates while he scrapped the service charge. Let him measure what the end users are consuming first via prepaid metering because any attempt at improving power supply without measurement will lead to wider error margin in the current estimated billing system.

What exactly has my explanation on the importance of decentralised/liberalised distribution got to do with defending any government biko? How exactly do some heads manage to interpret everything in life along political lines?

obailala:
What exactly has my explanation on the importance of decentralised/liberalised distribution got to do with defending any government biko? How exactly do some heads manage to interpret everything in life along political lines?

Decentralization of power supply doesn't connote or imply scrapping of national grid. In USA they have their national grid decentralized into 3 grids and they didn't scrap the national grid to achieve that. Everyone already knows you as an APC govt man here on NL. No need wasting precious time on that.

shadeyinka:
But this is when the greatest principality of Nigeria the president should have stepped in.

The Nigerian president is so powerful that nothing is impossible with him. But our president seems to have other agenda. In my honest opinion, Buhari isn't part of the "financial cabal" but his lack of action is disturbing. Even Donald Trump is not as constitutionally empowered like the president of Nigeria.

The Nigerian president is programmed and empowered to succeed in almost anything he wants to do BUT Does the president want to solve our power and economic problem?

You will first of all need to ask yourself if your president understands what's going on. Then even if he does, the way and manner in which presidents are elevated in Nigeria makes it almost impossible for any democratic president to stand against the powers that be (a.k.a. the cabals); and this is largely because these so called cabals are the ones who install presidents and who also hold the key to every sector in the country. Go against them and your government would be crippled instantly. Nigeria is just a hopeless situation, a democracy probably wouldn't just work here. WHat Nigeria needs is an autocratic dictator "who chooses to do the right things".

CodeTemplar:
Decentralization of power supply doesn't connote or imply scrapping of national grid. In USA they have their national grid decentralized into 3 grids and they didn't scrap the national grid to achieve that. Everyone already knows you as an APC govt man here on NL. No need wasting precious time on that.

Oga, I explained the bottlenecks in the Nigerian power problem, I explained how decentralising/liberalising distribution and also providing prepaid meters can help improve the power situation in the country. I also pointed out that laws need to be changed/updated to achieve this and the NASS needs to sit up to effect the changes in law.

Oh yes I support APC any day over PDP, but for the love of God, what exactly has what I explained in this thread got to do with politics of APC or PDP?... Can you not survive without dragging everything into politics?... or are you suffering from some form of politics induced traumatic stress disorder? How exactly did any of my statements connote support for a political party?.. What has this got to do with politics?

obailala:
You will first of all need to ask yourself if your president understands what's going on. Then even if he does, the way and manner in which presidents are elevated in Nigeria makes it almost impossible for any democratic president to stand against the powers that be (a.k.a. the cabals); and this is largely because these so called cabals are the ones who install presidents and who also hold the key to every sector in the country. Go against them and your government would be crippled instantly. Nigeria is just a hopeless situation, a democracy probably wouldn't just work here. WHat Nigeria needs is an autocratic dictator "who chooses to do the right things".

I am not sure the cabal's have more power than the president. I think they are deep within our political structures not as vocal politicians but as people who have the power to distribute wealth. In other words, they function mainly by facilitating how money moves from the government to the people in government. It's all about money.

For the people in government, the cabal is a safe way of money transfer!

is it too much for the Senate to ask OBJ for our $16 Billion electricity money? Lilly livered Senators.

Buhari is a disaster.