Nigeria’s Electricity Transmission Peaks at 5,420mw

Buhari approves fresh tenure for NDPH boss

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos

The Nigeria’s power sector has recorded another milestone in improving the supply chain as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday announced another improved all-time national peak of 5,420.30 megawatts.

The company in a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, said the entire power was transmitted through the national grid at a frequency of 50.10Hz at 9:15 pm on August 18, 2020.

“This is the highest ever recorded in the nation’s power sector to-date, surpassing the previous peak of 5,377.80MW recorded on August 1, 2020, by 42.50MW,” the company said.

However, despite the feat, load-shedding, a way of ensuring that the available generation is equitably allocated to distribution companies nationwide to create a balance and avert grid instability has remained a norm in the power supply system.

Nigeria, with an estimated population of 200 million, has continued to generate only a fraction of its electricity needs, thus weakening major its economic development efforts.

To ameliorate the age-long problem, the federal government recently signed an agreement with Germany, represented by Siemens AG, to overhaul the three power value chains in order to deliver stable, reliable and quality power to the people. It has paid over N8 billion as its initial counterpart financing for the five-year project.

Although the TCN did not specifically mention how the new peak was attained, it noted it was upbeat about the new development, attributing it to the ‘’efforts” of the current administration.

“The gradual but steady improvement in electricity delivery in the nation’s power sector is attributable to the keen interest of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in piloting programmes and projects geared towards growing the power sector as well as the collective effort of all power sector players in the value chain.

“TCN is committed to working assiduously to further stabilise, rehabilitate and expand the grid and urges Nigerians to lend their support by safeguarding electricity installations nationwide,” Mbah added.

Commenting on the feat, the chief executive officer of one of the distribution companies told THISDAY off the record that the Discos could distribute over 6,000MW.

“Go and read the Siemens’ report. The report acknowledged that the Discos have the potentials to attain 11,000MW capacity. In 2015, the System Operator of the TCN also carried out a stress test of the Discos and noted that the Discos have over 6,000MW capacity. So, we have the capacity but the problem is that we don’t have enough to distribute,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the president has approved the renewal of the appointment of Mr. Joseph Ugbo as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPH) as well as Babayo Shehu and Ifeoluwa Oyedele as executive directors respectively.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said that the renewal would take effect from August 25 for a period of four years.

“The appointment of three additional directors has also been approved for more effective and efficient coverage of the company’s areas of activity” it stated.