Stabilising power supply in Nigeria

Last Monday, a BusinessDay report headlined ‘Don’t expect steady power supply until 2017 – analysts’ apparently jolted many Nigerians, whose hopes of stable power supply sooner than later had been stoked by the success recorded by the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies.

The reaction elicited by the report goes to show that Nigerians are sick and tired of the epileptic state of power supply in the country, and are waiting with bated breath to see a significant improvement in electricity supply soon.

But analysts have advised consumers not to expect any significant improvement in the immediate term until after four years as investors in the power sector may have up to four years to sort out challenges in the Nigerian electricity market before consumers start to benefit from the transfer of ownership of the PHCN assets to private sector management, according to industry analysts.

Over the years, the nation’s electricity system has moved from a state of convulsion to coma, a situation which has not earned it a pride of place in the league of the world’s most electricity deficient countries.

The sorry state of electricity supply in the country has continued to take a heavy toll on Nigerians, especially the masses, paralysing many businesses and sending some to early graveyard as the cost of self-generation of electricity was unbearable.

Worryingly, generating sets, which in better climes are only used as alternative means of sourcing for power for the purpose of production or conducting businesses, are now seen as essential commodities in the country.

Now, not a few Nigerians have expressed hope that the entry of the private sector into the nation’s electricity supply industry would bring about significant improvement in electricity supply and reduce the unhealthy over-dependence on generators, which are now the major source of electricity in the country.

For many Nigerians, it is most disturbing that the country has become a junkyard for generators of all sizes and brands either new or fairly used, owing to the high demand for generators by Nigerians.

Millions of Nigerian households use generators of varying sizes. Even the toiling masses struggle to buy what is, in local parlance, known as ‘I-better-pass-my-neighbour’- the 1.5KVA Yamaha brand of generator.

 By: FEMI ASU