Nigeria’s Power Generation Cannot Support Economic Growth, Says Power Minister
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, yesterday admitted that Nigeria’s current electricity generation was incapable of powering the economy of over 200 million Nigerians.
Aliyu, who spoke during the inauguration of new members of the board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja, however stressed that the federal government was determined to change the narrative.
The new members of the board included: The Chairman, Bukar Buni; Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz; Appolonia Okigbo; Ahmed Imamudeen, Clement Omeizabaye and Mohammed Wazaram.
Others were Abdulkareem Disu; Osagie Ediale; Gazalli Tukur; Nsima Ekere; Ali Haruna; Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Alex Okoh; Aisha Omar, among others.
He explained that power generation in the country had been about 5000 megawatts, stating that the country had been inconsistent in power generation.
“As you are all aware, the electricity being delivered is not enough to support the level of our population,” Aliyu said.
Noting that the economy was growing at a higher speed than Nigeria’s electricity supply, Aliyu stated that the country needed to find a way to meet up with the demand.
He challenged the newly inaugurated board members of the TCN to work together to deliver on their mandate, urging them to shun infighting, reiterating that the new management must focus on ensuring the stability of the national grid.
Aliyu explained that all the members of the new board were appointed based on merit, saying that they will be appraised on the delivery of adequate and reliable electricity to the Nigerian economy.
Earlier, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Gabriel Suswam, called on the new members to avoid any issue that will bring discord and defeat the purpose of their selection.
“Why I am worried is that most times when you have board members, the sad impression is that you experience fighting, experience personal interests and that becomes a problem rather than a solution.
“So, I want to appeal to the chairman, who I know is a very experienced person with some other board members I have seen. You must hit the ground running to enhance what has already been done by the MD of TCN. There’s a lot that needs to be done. There’s a lot that you have to do in order to change the narrative in the power sector,” he said.
Also speaking, the newly inaugurated chairman of the board, Buni, assured that he in collaboration with other members of the board would ensure that addressing issues in the electricity sector in Nigeria remains a priority.
