Power: Why FG will not realise 10,000mw target by 2019

Joe Ajaero, factional president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has given reasons the Federal Government will not realise its target of generating 10,000 megawatts of electricity by 2019.

Ajaero who addressed the press after the meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the NLC in Lagos, declared that it took an average of four years to build a power generating station.

He said that, at present, there was no power plant that would be ready for commissioning to bring additional megawatts to the below 4,000 megawatts within the next three years, stating that “President Muhammadu Buhari should not be deceived by those who want him to believe that 10,000 megawatts was possible in three years.”

He said asides this, there is also the challenge of transmission, noting that currently, nationwide transmission facilities cannot take more than 5,000 megawatts, and that he was not aware of any investment by the Federal Government to upgrade the poor and obsolete transmission facilities.

“Electricity generation is not done by command. An average period to complete a power station is four years and I am not aware of any power station that will soon be commissioned in the next four years.

“Even when there is 10,000 MW, there must be a transmission network that will convey the 10,000 MW and currently, the transmission network cannot take more than 5,000 MW,’’ he said.

Ajaero who is also the general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) accused electricity distribution companies (Discos) of rejecting load allocation, citing Ikeja Distribution Company among the Discos refusing to pick loads, thereby leaving individual customers in darkness, as they concentrate on priority feeders (industries) from where they rake in millions of naira through estimated billing.

He advised the government to prioritise the issue of electricity and petroleum product and see it as a social service to Nigerians for adequate development of the nation.