FG calls distribution companies in Abuja and Ibadan on inadequate power supply.
Due to the deteriorating state of the power supply in their respective areas, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, has called a meeting with the CEOs of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
Sule Abdulazeez, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, has also been called due to the worsening power crisis in the nation since January of this year.
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Since the start of the year, the state of the nation’s electricity supply has gotten worse.
The over $1 billion in debt owed to gas producers, who supply the gas needed to operate thermal gas-fired power plants, is one factor contributing to the current state of affairs.
Additionally, there have been numerous instances of transmission tower vandalism in various sections of the nation, which have disrupted the grid and caused constant drops in the flow of electricity throughout the nation.
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Afraid of the developments, Adelabu directed the CEOs of the Discos and TCN to attend a meeting scheduled for the upcoming week in a letter signed by B.U. Mustapha, Director, Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power.
They would talk about problems related to the deteriorating power supply in their areas in an effort to suggest a long-term solution.
Adelabu was quoted as saying that as information about the situation in their regions continues to surface, the management of other non-performing discos would also be questioned about their non-performance in a statement released on Saturday by the minister’s Special Adviser for Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji.
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The electricity minister said, “These two discos have been summoned owing to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN.”
The statement said that despite the gas scarcity, the ministry had been pressuring the electricity providers to increase output, and in recent days, generation had increased to more over 4,000 megawatts.
Therefore, in contrast to what we are currently witnessing in certain locations, we anticipate an improvement in the nation’s power supply.
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Adelabu said, “Findings revealed that some distribution companies were purposefully not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines in Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan regions were also damaged by vandals.”
As for the discos, the minister stated that going ahead, “wilful non-performance by any disco could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation.” Focus will be on forcing all discos to comply to expected standards.
In order to enhance supply in the impacted areas, the minister also gave TCN the order to start repairs on the damaged power lines and transmission towers right away.
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Remember that in the past few months, the minister had started making supervision visits to a couple of the power plants?
He was at the Kainji Hydro Power Plant, which was about to start a plan to expand its current 560MW operational capacity.
In order to evaluate the infrastructure being built to transfer an extra 30 megawatts of power from the Kashimbilla hydroelectric plant to the national grid, he also traveled to the states of Benue and Taraba.
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Only 10 MW is being evacuated from the hydroelectric plant at the moment.
The minister also visited the Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo State, as well as the Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo states.
The minister gave these power plants assurances during the visits that the Federal Government was making measures to pay down a portion of the outstanding debts owed to the gas supply and power generation businesses.
“With this, succour is close to electricity consumers nationwide as we expect this action to improve generation levels across the country,” Adelabu stated.
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FG calls distribution companies in Abuja and Ibadan on inadequate power supply.
Due to the deteriorating state of the power supply in their respective areas, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, has called a meeting with the CEOs of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
Sule Abdulazeez, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, has also been called due to the worsening power crisis in the nation since January of this year.
Advertisement
Since the start of the year, the state of the nation’s electricity supply has gotten worse.
The over $1 billion in debt owed to gas producers, who supply the gas needed to operate thermal gas-fired power plants, is one factor contributing to the current state of affairs.
Additionally, there have been numerous instances of transmission tower vandalism in various sections of the nation, which have disrupted the grid and caused constant drops in the flow of electricity throughout the nation.
Advertisement
Afraid of the developments, Adelabu directed the CEOs of the Discos and TCN to attend a meeting scheduled for the upcoming week in a letter signed by B.U. Mustapha, Director, Distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power.
They would talk about problems related to the deteriorating power supply in their areas in an effort to suggest a long-term solution.
Adelabu was quoted as saying that as information about the situation in their regions continues to surface, the management of other non-performing discos would also be questioned about their non-performance in a statement released on Saturday by the minister’s Special Adviser for Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji.
Advertisement
The electricity minister said, “These two discos have been summoned owing to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN.”
The statement said that despite the gas scarcity, the ministry had been pressuring the electricity providers to increase output, and in recent days, generation had increased to more over 4,000 megawatts.
Therefore, in contrast to what we are currently witnessing in certain locations, we anticipate an improvement in the nation’s power supply.
Advertisement
Adelabu said, “Findings revealed that some distribution companies were purposefully not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines in Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan regions were also damaged by vandals.”
As for the discos, the minister stated that going ahead, “wilful non-performance by any disco could suffice as a reason for severe punishment or outright license revocation.” Focus will be on forcing all discos to comply to expected standards.
In order to enhance supply in the impacted areas, the minister also gave TCN the order to start repairs on the damaged power lines and transmission towers right away.
Advertisement
Remember that in the past few months, the minister had started making supervision visits to a couple of the power plants?
He was at the Kainji Hydro Power Plant, which was about to start a plan to expand its current 560MW operational capacity.
In order to evaluate the infrastructure being built to transfer an extra 30 megawatts of power from the Kashimbilla hydroelectric plant to the national grid, he also traveled to the states of Benue and Taraba.
Only 10 MW is being evacuated from the hydroelectric plant at the moment.
Advertisement
The minister also visited the Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo State, as well as the Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo states.
The minister gave these power plants assurances during the visits that the Federal Government was making measures to pay down a portion of the outstanding debts owed to the gas supply and power generation businesses.
“With this, succour is close to electricity consumers nationwide as we expect this action to improve generation levels across the country,” Adelabu stated.
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