Nigeria Now Supplies 8,000MW Of Electricity – Minister

The Evangelist
December 14, 2022
By Nse ANTHONY-UKO

The federal government has disclosed that electricity supply in Nigeria is currently at 8,000 megawatts across, despite the epileptic power still recorded across the country.

The minister of power, Abubakar Aliyu who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the 11th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) ‘Scorecard Series (2015-2023)’ organised to showcase the achievements of the Buhari Administration, noted that this administration is set to bequeath to Nigerians additional 4,000MW generating capacity.

The minister, who said that the 8,000MW comprises of 5,000MW on-grid and above 3,000MW of industrial captive off-grid, said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will leave an installed capacity of almost 22,000MW by the May 2023.

LEADERSHIP checks however reveal that on-grid electricity supply has not reached 5,000MW despite concerted efforts by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to boost power supply in the country.

Recall that NERC in July activated a partial power agreement with key participants in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to raise power supply to 5,500MW.

However, generated has remained within the 4,000MW threshold while distribution is even lower than that.

“We will set the country on a stable path for 10,000MW of supplied energy (today we are at 8,000MW with 5,000MW on-grid and 3,000MW+ of industrial captive off-grid) and we will leave an installed capacity of almost 22,000MW. We also have robust programs ongoing with facilities and investments secured of over $3 billion to eliminate the large gap between our transmission capacity and supplied energy.”

“We will complete and commission the 700MW Zungeru Hydro Power Plant in the 1st quarter of 2023. We will also see to the operationalisation of the 240MW Afam III and 300MW Okpai Phase II to mention a few, Aliyu said.

The minister also said the federal government earned N393 billion from the Nigeria NESI in the first-half of 2022, its highest revenue in eight years.

This was even as NESI, through the National Council on Privatisation and Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), netted N130billion from privatisation of the Afam Power Plants, the Yola Electricity Distribution Company, and the restructuring of the Aba Integrated Power Project.

The minister while giving a brief on the sector’s achievements in eight years, disclosed that it completed over 105 Power transformers projects between 2015 and 2022.

He said the projects added a capacity of 6,216MWs to the grid, with 73 of the power transformers installed by TCN engineers in substations across the nation.

Similarly, he said it has begun to take delivery of critical equipment under the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

“You may recall that accelerated orders were placed for 10 Power Transformers and 10 Mobile Substations, with a delivery schedule beginning Sep’22,” he said.

So far, he said six of the 10 power transformers have already arrived Nigeria, adding “we have started installation in various locations while the remaining 4 are expected in Dec’22 and Jan’23.”

He further noted that the Mobile Substations are expected from Jan’23 through to Apr’23.

While also speaking on the National Mass Metering Programme, he unfolded plans for an additional six million meters under the second and third phases of the program set to commence in the 1st quarter and 2nd quarters of 2023.

His words: “We have executed the most successful metering program post privatisation with 1 million meters rolled out in the first phase of the National Mass Metering Program.”

He said the first phase generated 10,000 jobs in installation and assembly even as he noted that over 20,000 additional jobs would be generated in the second phase.

Aliyu also disclosed plans to establish a Meter Service Fund which will allow for continuous metering in the NESI.

He said a total of 105 Power Transformer projects were completed between 2015 to 2022, adding a capacity of 6,216MVA to the national grid.

He listed some of the completed Power Transformer/Substation projects to include: The 150MVA 330/132kV Interbus Power Transformer at Ughelli, Delta IV Transmission Substation and the 150MVA 330/132kV Power Transformer at Ayade Transmission Substation Others were the 2x150MVA 330/132/33kV Substation at Lafia, Nasarawa State, and the 2x60MVA 132/33kV Dawaki/Gwarinpa Substation which was recently completed in November 2022 under the Abuja Feeding Scheme.

The projects also included the 2x60MVA 132/33kV Gagarawa Substation, 2x60MVA 132/33kV Substation at Adiabor, 2x30MVA 132/33kV Yelwa Yauri the1x30MVA 132/33kV Ilashe Substation and the 1x40MVA 132/33kV Substation at Bichi, Kano State among others.

According to the minister, a number of substations and bay extensions were nearing completion and were expected to be inaugurated by Q1/Q2 of 2023.