28 November 2013, Lagos – Some stakeholders in the power sector on Thursday blamed the defunct PHCN management for the epileptic electricity supply in spite of the Federal Government’s huge investment in the sector.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos that the poor state of electricity supply did not justify the N328.2 billion invested between 2010 and 2013.
Statistics showed that power sector received N147. 59 billion in 2010, while N91.2 billion was approved for the sector in 2011.
The sector got N12.18 billion and N77.4 billion in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Mr Fashola Thomas, Chairman, Scalps Electrical Engineering Nig. Ltd., in Lagos, said that the Nigerians, especially the organised private sector, had not benefited from government’s investments in the power sector.
Thomas said that inability of Nigeria to meet its development goals as captured in ‘Vision 2020’, especially on electricity generation and supply. remained a major set back.
According to him, development plans will only become a reality when they are complimented with practical commitment.
He said that sustainable development would be achieved through aggressive investments in infrastructure and strategic plans.
The Chairman said that the nation’s poor electricity generation and supply were serious obstacles to domestic and foreign investors.
The Managing Director, Dolby Engineering Company, Mr Felix Duru, said that Nigeria had failed to meet the 35, 000 megawatts electricity generation projection in the last seven years.
“Am not sure we can meet the projection of archiving 40,000 megawatts of electricity by year 2020.
“The Vision 2020, therefore, recognised that for the Nigerian economy to become one of the top 20 in the world, it has to generate and make available to its citizenry adequate power for economic and social purposes.
“But electricity supply has been unstable in the country and subsequently stunted economic growth because of multiple factors, ranging from lack of adequate investments.
“Others include lack of maintenance, new infrastructure and abandonment of other reliable sources of cleaner and sustainable electricity like coal, solar, nuclear, wind and bio-gas,” he explained.
Mrs Benedicta Godwin, the Managing Patner, Global Electric Installation Ltd., said that the critical questions should be why Nigeria had, over the years, failed to deliver stable electricity supply.
Godwin said that government investment in the power sector was not commensurate with the current state of electricity generation and distribution nationwide.
She urged relevant authorities to critically overhaul the power sector management to avert a repeat of Nigerians experience under the defunct PHCN managment.
“The former and current Minister of Power should be blamed for the recurring crisis in the Power sector.
“The amount government invested in the power sector should be investigated to ascertain if they were well managed,’’ she said.
Mr Adeogun Babalola, Chairman, Infinity Engineering Company, said that government’s intervention in the power sector was enough to develop effective technical model for the nation’s power sector.
He said that less than 40 per cent of Nigerians enjoyed electricity supply, adding that the poor energy supply had driven many companies out of the country.
– NAN
