Despite the recent 45 per cent electricity tariff hike, consumers continued yesterday to groan under pangs of outages, with power generation sliding to 3,697 Mega Watts (MW).
The current power generation profile was against the peak of 5,074MW achieved earlier this month.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had earlier assured that the supply situation would improve with the assessed cost-reflective tariff regime. Even the Distribution Companies (Discos) affirmed that the new billing system would further ensure improved performance within the system.
Data obtained from the Presidential Task Force on Power yesterday put the power generation at 3,697 MW, while only 3,625MW was sent out.
The daily operations report of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), also obtained by The Guardian yesterday, showed that several challenges were trailing the process of generation and evacuation of power in the country.
The report, which gave the positions of the generation plants and transmission lines across the country as at Tuesday, showed that unutilised generation capability was 1922MW.
While about 1773.5MW was lost to gas constraints, about 149.6MW was lost to transmission line constraints.
Sources in the distribution companies said the many faulty transmission lines were major obstacle to their performance, decrying the poor response to fault clearing by the TCN.
The Guardian gathered that many of the businesses have found solace in diesel generator, even as they groan under the new tariff structure.
Concerned consumer and community leader in Surulere area of Lagos, Akin Osayemi, said the situation has been going from bad to worse, especially in the past two months.
“We hardly get five hours light in a day, businesses are suffering and when you get home you are forced to sleep in a heated black out. This is highly unfortunate. I think the Federal Government should do something about supply and not tariff increase at the moment,” he said.
Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, said the shortfall in power generation was huge, and therefore necessitated the power rationing.
According to him, Nigeria currently has less than one quarter of what it needs for regular supply.
He estimated that the nation should have about 160,000MW, for a population of 160 million.
Oduntan however identified the key challenges as inadequate generation; poor transmission capacity; poor distribution network; inadequate gas infrastructure and massive power theft and vandalism.
The Chief Executive Officer, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), said what his company is getting from the nation grid is too low.
The power generated is shared among the 11 Discos, with Eko getting 11 per cent; Ikeja, 15 per cent; Ibadan, 13 per cent, Kano, 8 per cent; Abuja 11.5 per cent; Port Harcourt, 6.5 per cent; Enugu nine per cent; Benin nine per cent; Kaduna, eight per cent; Jos, 5.5 per cent and Yola 3.5 per cent.
The TCN, at the last stakeholders’ meeting, identified 51 issues to be resolved in respect of supplies in areas like Alaoji, Sokoto, Ahoada, Damaturu, Gbarain, Calabar, Afikpo, Nsukka, Okigwe, Ihiala, Ayede, Ikeja, Ajah, Lekki, Kebbi, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Makurdi, Kainji, Kafanchan, Otukpo, Hadejia, Wudil, Kumbotso, Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina, Daura, Abuja and Maiduguri.
Source: ngrguardiannews.com
