The Federal Government of Nigeria has projected that the country will generate 12, 000 Mega Watts of electricity by 2020.
Nigeria currently generates about 5000MW of electricity.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, said at the weekend in Abuja at an event organized by the Nigerian Association of Energy Economics (NAEE) to mark this year’s World Energy Day with the theme: Institutional Strategy for Sustainability, Affordability and Availability, that the government would continue to work to ensure that electricity was made available, affordable and sustainable to all consumers.
Igali, who was represented by the Director, Renewable Energy and Rural Power Access, Abayomi Adebisi, added that the increase in the level of electricity was as a result of reduction in the activities of vandals which has been curtailed.
He said: “Looking at the power sector, you could see improvements in the availability of power in the country whereby we can generate up to 5000 Mega Watts. Because the other side of energy that brings power – the oil and gas has improved because the level of the level of vandalism that has been quite curtailed.
“We want to appreciate Mr. President who has given a clear direction for us to go so that we can attain up to this level. It is the intention that we will go further than this. We are aiming at about 12, 000 MW by 2020, a realistic figure.
“You will notice that the power has improved considerably and the government is not resting on its oars to ensure that electricity is affordable, it is available and it is sustainable to all the consumers in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government is committed to ensure a cordial atmosphere among the various stakeholders in the energy industry, the power sector investors, the service providers, the auxiliary service providers in the sector and the consuming publics.”
He added that only 40 per cent of the population had access to electricity.
“If the total population of Nigeria is estimated at about 170 million, and we have an access of about just 40% which means the large in Nigeria have no access to electricity. It is in this light that the government decided to privatize the power sector,” he added.
The National President, NAEE, Wumi Iledare, said that most Nigerians who live in the rural areas lacked access to modern energy. He noted that despite huge investments in the sector by both government and private sector, electricity remained unavailable.
By Pita Ochai
[divider]