TCN says power supply has increased. But it is not felt nationally.
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Power supply rose 3.6 per cent to 99,881.49 megawatt hour (MWh) on 3 April against 96,438.51MWh on 2 April, according to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
Electricity generation peaked at 4,302.6MW on 3 April, a 2.5 per cent increase on 4,411MWh on 2 April, the TCN says on its website.
Off-peak generation on 3 April surged 11.2 per cent to 4,060.4MW compared with 3.651.8MW on 2 April.
Electricity supplied to consumers was 98.9 per cent of the total 100,991.41MWh generated on 3 April, higher than 98.84 per cent on 2 April.
TCN claims power generation continues to rebound from the nationwide blackout in March – due to multiple collapses of the national grid, exacerbated by fuel scarcity and hikes in the prices of both petrol and diesel.
But the increase in power supply is hardly felt, as unstable electricity persists across the country.
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Erratic power supply
Power supply became more erratic from late last year and then got worse March after the national grid collapsed twice within 72 hours, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) pumping N13.92 trillion into the sector in the past five years.
CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele disclosed the sum at the recent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja where he expressed concern that frequent power outages could exacerbate the burden on fuel goods.
“We have disbursed over N1.3 trillion in the last five years to support Generators or Discos or to acquire equipment or to buy meters or to improve what is being paid to electricity generating companies (GenCos), so that they can continue to pay for their gas and then the system can continue to operate,” he said.
He disclosed that the CBN also disbursed N11.11 billion to power sector operators under the Nigeria Bulk Electronic Trade Payments Assurance Facility, raising total disbursement in that category to N1.28 trillion.
Discos get N12.64b
“The sum of N12.64 billion was also released to Discos under Nigeria electricity market stabilisation facility phase two line two,” Emefiele added.
“Community disbursement under phase two, first stand at N232.93 billion. Both interventions were designed to improve access to capital and ease development of enabling infrastructure in the Nigeria electricity supply chain sector.”
That brings total CBN disbursement to the power sector to N13.92 in five years.
Power supply normalising
Electricity supply is beginning to normalise in line with the target of Abuja to restore normal electricity supply by 21 March, according to Power Minister Power Minister Abubakar Aliyu, per reporting by Nairametrics.
Aliyu diclosed that actions taken by the ministry and other stakeholders to restore power include restoration of the gas pipeline and resumption of power generation by Okpai Power Plant.
He said Odukponi Power Plant was scheduled for completion on 21 March, ramping up generation by 4,100MW.