Experts in the power sector have called on the new minister of power, Mr Joseph Tegbe to work assiduously to ensure increase in Megawatts (MW) available on the grid
They also want consumers inclusion in the affairs of the power sector.
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Tegbe as the new minister of power.
Mr Bode Fadipe said that the minister need to work not just on grid stability, but there must be an increase in the MW available on the grid.
Fadipe, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sage Consulting, said that he should work assiduously to make sure that the stagnation in the amount of megawatts that was available on the grid was increased.
He said that the sector had never moved up to 6,000 megawatts, adding that there was always 13,000 MW installed capacity which was different from availability on the grid.
According to him, the sector cannot continue to play around 3,500 to 4,500MW for a population of more than 200 million.
”Even if the entire 200 million is not using electricity at the same time, for the using population, certainly 3,500, 4,500 megawatts is not enough.
”If electricity is regular, FCT alone can consume that quantum of energy,” he said.
Fadipe also urged the minister to take the issue of metering seriously.
According to him, whatever he is going to do to make sure that metering is moved beyond where it has been for a while should be done.
He said that metering remained a recurring decimal in the power sector as it affects the integrity of billing, energy accountability and revenue stabilisation or liquidity.
” Liquidity continues to remain a major factor in the sector and without being addressed , the problem in the sector will continue to be there,” he said
Fadipe also said that the issue between gas suppliers and Generating Companies (GenCos) that had always been a major challenge, leading up to an outstanding bill should also be resolved.
He said that the issue between the GenCos and gas suppliers was impacting on the availability on the amount of megawatts that could be generated by the GenCos.
”If gas suppliers are not paid, they will not supply the GenCos and power system in this country is screwed in favour of gas-fired plants, not hydro.
”Hydro contribution to the electricity supply industry is far smaller than gas-fired plants,” he said.
Mr Princewill Okorie, the Executive Director, Electricity Consumers Protection Advocacy Centre, urged the minister to organise a consumers consultative forum to meet with them.
Okorie said that by organising the forum, the consumers would be able to speak and he would hear directly from them.
”Enough of concentrating on transmission, generation distribution without the consumers who pay the bills and are being extorted and exploited without any consequence,” he said.
Okorie also said that the minister should set up a unit in the ministry of power to enforce or implement section 119 of the electricity act that was on consumer protection and licencee performance standards.
According to him, Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) are misbehaving because there is no enforcement, monitoring discipline.
He said that for DisCos to be monitored effectively, a unit should be established in the ministry of power or find a way to enforce penalties and offensive segment of the Electricity Act as it is in section 209-226.
