BusinessDay... the voice of business: Electric power down the drain

Electric power down the drain
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GODWIN ERAPI on 01 January, 2008 01:12:00
 
On arrival at the Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos, the excited kids were busy
chatting when darkness suddenly enveloped them. The youngest, a girl of about
four years, suddenly screamed, "Mummy, I am blind. I can’t see a thing!!!"
Expectedly, their mother panicked with her mind racing over several possible
causes of her daughter’s sudden mysterious blindness. Just as suddenly as the
supposed blindness commenced, the little girl announced, "Mummy, I can see
again."
NEPA (now Power-less Holding Company of Nigeria- PHCN) struck at the time and
inflicted temporary blindness on the kids who were not used to sudden darkness.
After their mother explained NEPA’s antics to them, every time NEPA struck
throughout their holiday in Nigeria, the kids echoed, "NEPA has done its job
again!!!" The PHCN still inflicts near-permanent blindness on the residents of
several Nigerian cities. In some cases, whole cities are denied electricity for
long spells due to NEPA’s (or PHCN’s) inability to justify the US$4.07
billion so far invested by government in the power sector. Despite this huge
investment, Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity remains at 6,000 MW in
2007, with PHCN only able to generate 3,000 MW against the 10,000 MW projected
by ex-President Obasanjo.
This translates to the fact that our electric power generation plants are
operating far below their installed capacities leaving industrial and domestic
consumers gasping for financial breath. The human and economic cost of this
inefficiency is so enormous one professor at the Lagos State University
reportedly referred to it as the most expensive darkness in the world. The
situation, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2006 annual report, was
even better in 2006 when our electricity generation capacity increased to a
meagre 7,011.6 MW and actual electricity generated for consumption was 2,638.6
MW, although total electricity consumed was just 1,742.9 MW because PHCN failed
woefully to live up to the expectations of electricity consumers.
Rather sadly, officials of the PHCN and the Federal Government, whose
responsibility it is to ensure that Nigeria generates sufficient megawatts of
electricity required to make us one of the 20 leading nations in the world by
2020, have done nothing but hold their hands up in total surrender. In order to
attain this much vaunted status, it is estimated UNDER THE Federal Government
Electricity Master Plan that Nigeria requires 15,000 MW by 2008, 20,000 MW by
2010 and 200,000 MW of electricity by 2020.
Government and PHCN know the problems militating against these targets but
proffer very little by way of solution. Amongst the identified problems are
factors like low water level at the hydropower plants, the disruption of gas
supply to the thermal plants, vandalism, illegal petroleum bunkering, and Niger
delta militants. Recently, our President’s Special Adviser (Media) claimed
that saboteurs were responsible for disruptions to electricity supply
nationwide.
There are however questions begging for answers. Who is responsible for
preventing saboteurs from crippling power generation and supply? Since
government got intelligence reports indicating that saboteurs are responsible
for our national darkness, how many saboteurs have been arrested and
successfully prosecuted? Who are these faceless saboteurs?
If indeed there are saboteurs, the government has the capacity to fish them out
for punishment except they are sacred cows. The blame lies squarely at the
doorstep of government and PHCN. The fact remains that very little political
will has been demonstrated to provide uninterrupted electricity supply. What
Nigeria requires is a commitment to provide uninterrupted electric power supply
across the country demonstrated by way of government providing vital equipments,
human, infrastructural and financial resources and ensuring the security of PHCN
infrastructures. Otherwise we’ll end up in a permanent state of darkness and
our economy will be the worst for it. In a nation where well-connected generator
and diesel merchants pray daily for perpetual darkness, we are indeed very lucky
not have been plunged into a permanent state of darkness by now.
Before the final darkness falls, President Yar’Adua must take very firm but
urgent actions to bring an end to this expensive national darkness. If desert
nations can generate sufficient electricity to run their economies, Nigeria has
no excuse blaming our perpetual darkness on water shortage in our hydro
stations. It is not enough for government to tell us about its concerted efforts
to add 150 MW the national grid through the Omoku power plant in Rivers state,
the so-called progress it has made under the National Integrated Power Projects
through the construction of Gereku 414 MW plant in Kogi state, the Omotosho 335
MW plant in Ondo State, the Papalanto 335 MW plant in Ogun state and the Alaoji
346 MW plant in Abia State. Nigerians need results, not excuses. The fact
remains that currently, we are in darkness and far from our target.
Government must tackle water shortage, sabotage and the Niger-Delta crisis or
nothing will change. Above all, government must tackle corruption in the sector.
Cases of cable and transformer damage, theft and sabotage still abound alongside
failure by several government agencies and individuals to pay for services
rendered/not rendered. If the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s power sector,
the frequent power outages, the deterioration in power transmission and
distribution and the persistent vandalisation of PHCN distribution
infrastructure continue unchecked, by 2020 Nigeria will be a stone-age (instead
of a superpower) nation. If the current decay persists, pumping fresh funds into
the sector will amount to throwing electric power down the drain. That will make
Nigeria a powerless Lilliputian and not a giant by 2020. Government must wake up
to its responsibilities!!