Explore other means of energy, Nigerians tell power ministry

[Punch]

Power Holding Company of Nigeria cables at Ojuelegba Bus Stop, Lagos ... on Friday.  

| credits: Stanley OgidiNigerians are among the people most deprived of grid-based electricity in the world with a per capita consumption that is far lower than many other African countries, says the Presidential Task Force on Power.

According to the task force, a South African is provided 97 per cent more electricity than a Nigerian, while a Brazilian enjoys 93 per cent more. With a population of 150 million, Nigeria's generation capacity is around 3,600MW.

Brazil is able to generate 100,000MW of grid-based electric power for a population of 201 million people, while South Africa generates 40,000MW for about 50 million citizens.

Nigeria currently has installed capacity to generate about 6,000MW of electricity of which about 3,600MW is actually generated (for a population of 158,259,000). This compares very poorly with the United States' 1,010,172MW (for a population of 310,571,000); South Africa's 44, 074.4MW (for a population of 49,320,150); and Ghana's 2,111MW (for a population of 23,837,261).

Per capita, this equals 22.8W of electricity for each Nigerian, 535.8W for a Brazilian, 3, 252.6W for an American, South Africa 1, 093W for a South African and 88.6w for a Ghanaian.

However, stakeholders angrily dismiss the excuse being given by the minister of power for poor electricity supply across the country as no longer untenable.

On why power supply has become very poor, CDon Adinuba, the Special Assistant to Bath Nnaji, had attributed the problem to shortage in gas supply, poor maintenance of the old power stations and low water level because of lack of rain in the north.

An angry commentator, Mr Bejide Roland, had questioned why the authorities had not considered alternative sources, other than hydro and thermal energy currently in use in Nigeria.

"I believe that our people are not thinking rightly. By now, we should have gone beyond the usual excuse of low water or short fall in gas supply as responsible for poor power supply.

"We can generate energy from waste, which Lagos State is experimenting now; why can't the Federal Government try it out? Supposing rain stops falling for two years, are they saying that we should forget about electricity?

"For God's sake, there are some desert countries all over the world where power supply is 24/7 all year round. The minister and his employers should wake up and stop giving lame excuses. Nigerians are tired and they want to be part of the 21st century."

Another consumer, Mr. Moshood Yusuf, wrote in to suggest that the FG should explore solar energy and coal as other alternatives to power supply, arguing that Nigeria is blessed with good weather with abundant brilliant sunshine and large deposit of coal in Enugu.

"God has so much blessed this country with more than what we need to have uninterrupted power supply. When they know that there is no adequate supply of gas, why spend billions of dollars to build power plants that require gas to function?" Yusuf asked.

"We've so much coal that Enugu is named Coal City; why are we not exploring the natural endowment instead of lamenting about water level in the 21st century as responsible for our energy problem?

"There is even wind technology that we can try. The point I'm making is that we can't do without thermal and hydro systems to generate power, but it can be better when we have diverse ways of achieving a better result. I'll say that we have heard the no water no power excuse for too long. Nigerians feel insulted by such lame excuses."

Almost every respondent to Powertalk agrees that Nigeria should have moved far ahead in advanced technology in providing electricity to its citizens.



The Punch

[MyInfoStride]

Will the forces of saboteurs allow power supply to be efficient and effective? We have been shouting, crying, pleading, and begging as Nigerians over the incensant power supply in Nigeria but all to the deaf hear. All that we hear is pumping billions of Naira into the power projects that have not yielded any positive result... The failure of Nigeria as country is as result of the failure in the power sector....

Who is who in Nigeria that is setting us back?

[EmekaWilson]

Will the forces of saboteurs allow power supply to be efficient and effective? We have been shouting, crying, pleading, and begging as Nigerians over the incensant power supply in Nigeria but all to the deaf hear. All that we hear is pumping billions of Naira into the power projects that have not yielded any positive result... The failure of Nigeria as country is as result of the failure in the power sector....

Who is who in Nigeria that is setting us back?

its really sounds deceptive...pumpng billions to a sector where the effect is never seen. The future has never come into the minds of our leaders. How can we rely on hydro and gas for year? mtsheew

[Agbose Emmanuel]

We can succeed wit an entire dependence on hydro energy, the question is not the amount pumped into the sector, but how much really goes for the purpose.

[EmekaWilson]

Yea..all they do is channel the money through other dubious means to enrich their pockets!! Nigeria style!!!