Nigeria needs 30-year master plan to fix power sector, says expert
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The Nigerian government needs to prepare and implement a credible 30-year long-term master plan to proactively develop the country’s electricity output and address the challenges stalling the power sector.
Ifeoluwa Oyedele, executive director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), made the recommendation while delivering the 15th Distinguished Electrical Electronic Engineers Annual Lecture (DEEEAL) of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NIEEE), held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and monitored by Business A.M.
In his presentation titled, “Electrification of Nigeria is a Sine qua non to Building a Great, Industrialised and Safe Nation”, Oyedele remarked that 85 million Nigerians do not have access to power supply, while power generation in the country is constrained by insufficient gas supply for existing power stations due to lack of cash flow to pay gas suppliers, frequency misalignment on transmission grid, low evacuation capacity and system instability.
Commenting on the proliferation of government agencies in the power sector, he noted that Nigeria has about 21 different bodies or organisations dealing with power in the sector and all of them are working in silos.
“I hear that CBN is building power plants,I hear that NNPC is building power plants. There are organisations like the NDPHC that have excelled in these areas. Why are they not consulted?” He queried.
Speaking on the way forward, the new fellow of the NIEEE, said preparation of the 30-year electricity master plan must meet international best practices and in consultation with policy makers and stakeholders in the industry to avoid putting up a “jamboree and blame games.”
The master plan, he suggested, should be broken down into a rolling 5-year plan and not to be jeopardised by changes in administrative control.
He further stated that the government needs to emulate successful countries in the power sector like Singapore, India, and Rwanda, by presenting a coherent unified face with consistent policy.
The NDPHC executive director also spoke of the need to revisit the tariff issues, review the Multi-year Tariff Order (MYTO) to be user-friendly, and adopt a truly cost-reflective tariff that can guarantee a bankable investment climate.