Some residents of Kogi, Niger and Nasarawa states have advocated states government and private sector investment in the establishment of Independent Mini Power Grids to boost electricity supply in Nigeria.
This, they say, would help address the incessant collapse of the national power grid and its negative impact on the nation’s economy.
The stakeholders made the call during a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.
Mr Joseph Adedayo, an Energy Expert in Lokoja, Kogi, said that the establishment of independent mini power grids would greatly minimise power failure in the country.
He noted that if the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, would build theirs mini power grids, the problem of power would be solved.
Adebayo blamed the current power challenges on weak regulations and lack of clear policies, which he argued had hindered the development of state-owned power plants.
The expert also noted that inadequate generation capacity slows down growth and expansion in the sector, thereby making it difficult for states to establish independent power plants.
He further said that financial constraints also served as one of the major challenges hindering the States from venturing into generating power plants.
According to him, establishing and maintaining a power plant requires substantial investment, which can be daunting for states with limited financial resources especially States that solely depend on federal allocation to survive.
“The rising insecurity and frequent vandalism of power infrastructure pose significant risks to investing in independent power plants.
“These challenges highlight the complexity of Nigeria’s power sector and the need for comprehensive reforms to enable states to develop their own power plants efficiently,” he said.
He urged government at all levels to ensure the security of power infrastructure to prevent vandalism and sabotage.
The expert further advised the states to take concerted effort to invest in mini-grids that could serve specific communities or local governments.
Mrs Joy Agu, a hair stylist, appealed to the Federal Government to do its best to address the incessant collapse of National grid, saying they could no longer cope with exorbitant cost of petrol to run their businesses.
“All my equipment are using electricity, and there is no way we can survive in this hair dressing profession without regular power supply, because we can’t cope with the fuel price.
“We are appealing to the government to fulfill its promise of ensuring stable electricity supply in the country,” Agu said.
Mr Hamza Aliyu, the Executive Director,
Initiative for Grassroot Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA), emphasised the need to build capacity of States’ legislatures to understand the dynamics of the sector to be able to develop and pass Regulatory laws that address specific needs of their respective states.
Aliyu also advised the Houses of Assemblies to enact laws that could also protect the rights of consumers.
“Since 1960, the right to legislate on issues concerning generation, transmission and distribution of electricity has always been the prerogative of the federal government.
“The amendment that enabled states to also participate, means that the one critical challenge of weak capacity (knowledge, expertise, etc) will have to be built for them to effectively participate.
“The energy subsector is capital intensive. The present resource management structure in Nigeria will make it challenging for states to get partners in the private sector to participate in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, ” he said.
He added that the human resources needed for coordination and implementation of the regulatory frameworks must be developed locally for it to be sustainable.
Aliyu advised educational institutions and governments at State levels to work together to develop those capacities and produce the needed graduates from the State universities, colleges among others.
Mr Peter Onujeme, Director, Pee-links Electronic World Limited, said that there is need for Nigerian Government to change her system of power generation and distribution to an independent national grid.
Onujeme said that as a traders, the experiences garnered on his several trips to other countries clearly showed that Nigeria’s system of power generation and distribution was outdated.
He said that the National Grid system of distributing power was no longer workable.
“To me, government should as a matter of urgency, unbundle the National grid system if it really wants to tackle the country’s power challenges.
“I suggest that independent power grids should be built in every region and going forward built in every state of the federation.
“With this, the nation will stop depending on very few power plants that are generating inadequate megawatts to feed the nation’s huge population.
“A template is the Geometrics Power plant in Aba (built by a private investor), which is serving Aba and it’s environs.
“If this is replicated in all economic hubs in the country – Onitsha, Nnewi, Lagos, Port-Harcourt , Kano and Kaduna, it will take the strain off the country’s power infrastructure.
The director said going forward, the construction of those mini plants would cascade down to every state of the federation and the perennial and embarrassing power problem would be permanently solved.
He blamed the current challenges on legislators, who had stopped states from having their independent power plants, until the Buhari lead administration changed the narrative and liberalised the power sector, allowing states to build their private power generating plants.
“As a result, Lagos has built one in the Ikeja hub, while geometrics came up in Aba. We are expecting more in most of the states, “Onujeme said.
According to him, corruption, lack of funds, vision and the political will are the major barriers preventing states from embarking on independent power projects, which are capital intensive
In Niger, the state government has begun plans build its own power plant, following the signing of the new electricity act into law by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
This legislation empowers states to generate, distribute, and transmit electricity, positioning them as key players in the electricity sector.
Alh. Yakubu Katamba, Director General, Niger State Electricity Board, said the state was poised to take advantage of the opportunity.
He however, said that the state legislature must enact a law to regulate the market in times of distribution and transmission of electricity.
Katamba revealed that a new agency, the Niger State Regulatory Agency, will be responsible for overseeing the process.
He said the proposed law had been sent the state assembly and expected to be passed before the end of the year.
Katamba identified the absence of a regulatory law as a significant challenge to establishing a state-owned power plant.
He emphasised that private individuals, distribution companies, and generation companies could also participate in the electricity market once the law is enacted.
He disclosed that presently, Niger state does not have a mini-grid owned by the state.
Katamba said the state government had launched the Bago Electrifying Niger State Agenda to tackle the challenges of electricity supply in the state
According to him, this includes repairing bad transformers to reduce power failures, upgrading obsolete breakers in Minna, Kontagora and Bida, and establishing relief stations to reduce load on overloaded substations
He said that by addressing these challenges and leveraging the new electricity act, Niger state aimed to become a key player in the electricity sector and ensure a stable power supply for its residents.
Dr Abdullahi Jabi, Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights Advocacy Civil Society, said the persistent collapse of national grid has sparked widespread concern, with this year’s tally exceeding six incidents.
He emphasised the urgency of addressing the issue, saying the aging dams supporting electricity generation, coupled with years of neglect, have created vulnerabilities exploited by saboteurs
“The government must prioritise security around power generation stations, safeguarding personnel and ensuring their welfare to prevent internal sabotage,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria’s energy crisis was multifaceted, necessitating comprehensive solutions.
Jabi advocated for diversifying beyond hydroelectric power sources into solar, wind and coal offer promising alternatives.
According to him, investing in multi-functional power generation systems will empower economic activities.
He said the reliance on outdated hydroelectric dams, such as Kainji and Shiroro, and even newly constructed Zungeru, underscored the need for innovation.
In Nasarawa State, the State’s House of Assembly lawmakers and other stakeholders have called on the state government to generate and distribute its own electricity.
Mr Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the Assembly said the legislature would do its best to ensure that the state government got the needed legislative backing to generate, transmit and distribute sufficient power supply to the people of the state.
He said that, if the state generate its own electricity, it would tackle the lingering issue of poor electricity supply in the state.
“This will create jobs, boost socioeconomic activities and increase the revenue base of the state,” the speaker said.
Mr Suleiman Azara (APC- Awe South), Mr Solomon Akwashiki ( SDP- Lafia Central) and Mr Luka Zhekaba ( PDP- Obi 2) said that if the state government generate its own electricity, it would also improve on the standard of living of the people of the state.
They said that the best way to address the prolonged poor power supply in the state was for the state government to venture into power generation rather than the perpetual dependence on the national grid for electricity supply.
Also speaking, Mrs Grace Thomas, a resident and business woman lamented the epileptic power supply in the state
“To incessant collapse of the national grid has made it very necessary for the state government to look in the direction of generating its power supply.
“If the state government generate it own electricity, it would go along way in ensuring stable and regular power supply in the state.
“It would boost our business activities and there will be more job opportunities in the state,” she said.
Others residents, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, Bulus Godwin and John Bitrus, all decried the worsening poor power supply situation in the state, which they said was crippling small businesses.( NAN)
