The power sector in Nigeria remains largely in the doldrums in spite of sing songs from the federal government, given that the ever expanding Nigerian population of over 160 million is still grappling with just 4,500 megawatts of electricity, an amount of power used by a medium sized European city.
In December 2012, power generation in Nigeria hit a record 4,517mw. In 2010, it was 2000mw.
The government celebrated it at every opportunity. That record has continued to dwindle, fluctuating between 2500mw and 3500mw since then. Just last weekend, there was a system collapsed that plunged the entire country into darkness.
At the start of 2011, then minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, made a commitment that by December of 2012, the power generation capacity would hit 5000 megawatts. It never did. The federal government blamed poor transmission grid, saying generation capacity had hit the target but could not be wheeled to the distribution companies.
By the wake of 2012 and down to the beginning of 2013, the federal government assured Nigerians that generation target for December 2013 was 10, 000 megawatts and indeed by the timeline contained in the vision 2020, Nigeria is supposed to have 10, 000mw by end of 2013.
However, on May 1, 2013, minister of power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, again announced that given current realities, the 10, 000 mw for 2013 was unrealistic. The goal post was then shifted once again, this time; first quarter of 2014.
Few weeks before, at an elaborate ceremony at the state house in Abuja, Prof Nebo had said the transmission grid needed an overhaul and an investment outlay of $3.5 billion to be able to handle the quantum of power generation capacity in the coming months.
