…As power generation steadies around 3,000MW
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
06 August 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, has warned against reports that instigated Nigerians against power sector operators, mainly distribution companies.
In a statement obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, the ANED’s Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Mr Sunday Oduntan, noted that “No one is more interested in comprehensive metering than the Discos. However, metering comes at a cost.”
Oduntan also noted that non-payment of electricity bill obligations and tariff that did not allow for full cost recovery could prevent the distribution companies from achieving the desired outcome.
The statement blamed recent publication by some sections of the media as “directly focused on inciting Nigerians against the power Discos and, by extension, the power sector,” adding, “The advertorial was based on the recent court judgment with respect to the tariff increase which the Discos appealed against.”
Meanwhile, the partial cessation in the disruption of oil and gas installations by vandals and the rise in water levels for hydroelectric plants have resulted in a steady increase in electricity generation in the last one month, according to operational reports from the System Operator.
Data obtained from the operator showed that between July 1 and August 3, the country’s power generation revolved around 3,000 megawatts, up from about 2,000MW on the average in May and June.
On July 1 and August 3, power generation stood at 3,031.7MW and 3,213MW respectively. It peaked at 3,322.9MW on August 7, moving up from the lowest of 1,986.1MW that was recorded on June 25 this year.
Nigeria’s power generation had hit an all-time high of 5,074.7MW on February 2, 2016, but this was not sustained as the vandalism of pipelines, particularly in the Niger Delta region, disrupted the supply of gas to the generating plants, and forced down electricity generation across the country.
Industry officials noted that the marginal rise in the generation was due to contributions from the hydroelectric plants as well as the partial cessation of attacks on critical oil and gas facilities by the militants as a result of the ongoing negotiations between them and the Federal Government.
Statistics also confirmed that the steady generation of about 3,000MW was due to contributions from the hydropower plants, as no quantum of electricity was lost by the plants due to water management constraints for the review period.
