We’ll remove obstacles hindering effective electricity supply–Tinubu

By Ismail Abdulaziz

President Bola Tinubu on Friday in Abuja said that his administration would address obstacles hindering stable electricity supply in the country.

A statement by Mr Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said Tinubu said this at the ground breaking ceremony of the new 350MW Gwagwalada Independent Thermal Power Plant (Phase 1), an FCT suburb.

Tinubu said his administration would bring solutions to the challenges across the electric power sector value chain and relieve the long standing problems of suppressed demand and improve the steadiness of peak supply.

The president said that improved energy generation and distribution was an imperative for accelerated national growth.

He urged the NNPC and its partners to deliver the landmark project within the promised three years completion timeline, insisting that “three years must be three years.”

“Although the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is currently characterized by huge supply-gap deficits owing to dilapidated power infrastructure and poor distributions networks, amongst others.

“This administration is poised to address every power value chain challenge that will significantly relieve the suppressed demand.

“It will also enhance generation, and improve national peak growth and sustainability far above the hitherto abysmal and unacceptable 5,300MW for over 200 million Nigerians,” the President said.

Tinubu said that a swift improvement in the stability and quantum of energy supply would enhance national economic development.

“During my electioneering campaign, I made a commitment to Nigerians on providing stable electricity.

“This is to be achieved by ensuring that we use all available energy sources to boost power generation beyond the current installed capacity of 12,000 megawatts.

“It is also require strengthening the integrity of our transmission infrastructure and ensuring that all distribution bottlenecks are removed”, he said.

Tinubu said electricity was important in boosting productivity and industrialisation as tools for tackling poverty, unemployment and national development.

Tinubu said that adequate energy, especially electricity, would be treated as a national economic imperative, if Nigeria must develop and maximise her human and natural resources.

“To accelerate our economic growth, we must work hard to remove every obstacle that has slowed down our progress. I have often said that electricity is the greatest human invention of the last 1,000 years.

“We cannot advance and join the rest of the developed world if we remain stuck with our current electricity supply situation.

“The groundbreaking for the Gwagwalada thermal power plant (Phase 1) is highly significant to the nation.

“It marks the first bold step and the beginning of the administration’s concerted efforts to entrench a strong and virile energy foundation for uninterrupted power supply to boost the economy and accelerate industrial growth”, he said.

The Gwagwalada 350MW (Phase 1) project is part of an incremental 3,600MW cumulative power project that is based on market-driven designs along the Abuja, Kaduna and Kano (AKK) gas pipeline corridors.

It will further underpin the project’s economic viability while generating multiple foreign direct investments (FDIs) for the nation.

The President promised to harness the nation’s gas resources, assuring that “this administration will latch onto the global declaration of gas as a ‘transition fuel’.

“We will fully harness the more than 200 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proven gas reserves which are expected to deepen domestic gas utilization through improved power generation.

“We will pursue the establishment of gas-based industries, petrochemical firms, as well as liquified/compressed natural gas (auto-gas) development to catalyze sustainable economic development while creating millions of jobs for the teeming Nigerian populace”, he said.

Tinubu pledged his administration’s commitment to addressing the power challenges and gas utilisation with a clear focus on advancing the diversification of its energy mix.

“Nigeria will continue to vigorously pursue the implementation of other low-Carbon energy options as part of a larger mix, such as Solar, Hydro, Wind, Thermal and biofuels (for both on grid and off-grid power systems).

“This will help shore-up our national energy supply to meet the growing domestic demands.

“It will ensure that adequate energy penetrates the homes of our people with a view to improving the standard of living of our people in the rural areas,” the president assured.

Tinubu applauded the NNPCL for its proactive initiative in this direction, saying.

“The recent strategic partnership between the NNPC Ltd and NIPCO Gas Limited to deploy Compressed Natural Gas stations across the country is another excellent example.

“The landmark collaboration will expand Nigeria’s CNG infrastructure, improve access to CNG, and accelerate the adoption of a cheaper and cleaner alternative fuel for buses, cars, and `keke napep` nationwide”, the president said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the NNPC-NIPCO partnership, 35 state-of-the-art CNG stations will be constructed nationwide, including three mother stations.

When fully operational, the stations would have the ability to service 200,000 vehicles daily”. (NAN)