The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has announced ambitious plans to ramp up Nigeria’s power generation from the current 4000 Megawatts to 6000 Megawatts by the end of 2024, leveraging the nation’s hydro and solar plant capacities.
Naija News reports that the minister made the revelation during a briefing with members of the Senate Committee on Power, who visited the ministry on Monday in Abuja.
Addressing the current state of the power sector, Minister Adelabu expressed concern over the maximum electricity generation, which is currently capping at 5800 Megawatts, describing the situation as “unfortunate and sad.”
He highlighted the lack of maintenance on existing infrastructure as a significant hindrance. “The infrastructure is lying there without adequate maintenance, the turbines are rusting away,” he lamented.
With a determined tone, Adelabu assured, “With proper investment put in place, we can generate 6000 Megawatts before the end of 2024.”
This statement underscores a pivotal move towards improving the country’s power supply and meeting increasing demand.
Further detailing his strategy, the Minister discussed transformative measures for the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), often criticized for their inefficiency.
He emphasized the necessity of their performance, which directly impacts the overall success of the power sector.
“We are putting pressure on the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ensure that the DisCos sit up, and if they have to withdraw their licenses for not performing, why not?” he proposed.
The Federal Government plans to unbundle DisCos along state lines to enhance operational efficiency.
“Some of them are serving so many states, so we are rearranging and restructuring the DisCos along state lines, so that each state government will know the distribution company responsible for their states,” Adelabu explained.
Additionally, the Minister mentioned plans to franchise DisCos to encourage investment and create smaller, more manageable units.
“We also plan to franchise the DisCos so that we can have smaller DisCos that are ready to invest,” he said.
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