NBET Boss: 20,000MW of Electricity Unattainable by 2020

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Dr. Marilyn Amobi, has said the country cannot achieve its target of 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity target by the year 2020.

She said this yesterday when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power visited NBET on an oversight visit, where she added that the target is capital intensive.

Amobi, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2016, said the country has no business talking about 20,000 megawatts by the year 2020.

“A lot of talk shows are going on in this country in form of workshops on that. There will not be any 20,000 megawatts in 2020. We can’t make that happen. There is no way for that, she said.
Fielding questions from committee members led by the Chairman, Hon. Dan Asuquo, Amobi also said deploying nuclear and wind energy in Nigeria would remain a mirage.

“We cannot run nuclear in Nigeria, and the question of wind energy, forget it. It’s just a story. We cannot run all that in Nigeria. It’s just a wish list,” she said, adding that Nigeria was not financially buoyant enough for such venture.

Asuquo, queried the mode of engagement of 14 companies by NBET under its Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

“If there was no proper guideline, the process of acquiring those 14 companies was null and void. I can assure you if we leave here with that, there’ll be an investigation on this. If the standard is not in line with global best practices, of course, there will be a lot of questions. Whoever directed such a thing, will appear before us,” Asuquo said.

Amobi however said the in-house guideline produced in 2011 in accordance with global standards, was used for the engagement of the companies.

She noted that it would not be used in future as a new guideline is being developed.