Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 140 million people has less than 40% of her population connected to the electricity grid with no electricity supply for more than 60% of the time. Nigeria has no enough electricity generated to meet the demand of her people.
The current administration of President Umaru Musa Yar Adua has put Power and Energy has number one in his seven-point agenda for the development of the nation. He is also currently aiming for 6000 MW electricity generation by December, 2009, but the current generation is at about 3000 MW. Ongoing extensive repair and upgrading is being done on the Shiroro power plants in Niger state and supply of gas to Egbin thermal station is being resumed after disruptions caused by the Niger Delta militants attack on oil and gas infrastructure. The bulk of the electricity crisis has been the structural deficiencies of our power stations and distribution system. The grid is actually powered by hydropower and thermal (which makes use of fossil fuel) power. Within each of these sources, there are structural problems that subtract from the overall efficiency of the energy producing capacity of each type of power station. Also, technological deficiencies are prevalent throughout the power system, both in the generation and transmission. For example, with modern technology, about 40% of the energy consumed in thermal plants can be converted to electricity, but in the absence of this technology (as is currently the case in Nigeria) this figure can be as low as 12%. Of that power produced, there is further loss through transmission. One estimate claims that between 30 and 35% of power generated in Nigerian power stations are lost in transmission. By comparison, power losses across line in the United States usually come to less than 1%, even across greater distances. Illegal users' tapping of the power lines also contribute to inefficiencies in the power system as they remain unaccounted for and even regarded as power loss. Underinvestment in modern technology, lack of modern standardized components and qualified maintenance staff have made the power problem in Nigeria intractable.
Although the government had long ago recognized the need for a better power system in the country, it has had great difficulty funding and organizing the needed restructuring and development. As an attempt to rectify this in 2005, the government divided the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) into two sections, one in charge of the generation of power and the other in charge of the distribution of power. As part of this division, the government sought to privatize the sectors in an effort to finance and organize the needed development of infrastructure. But the workers have vehemently rebuffed this gesture by the government for fear of imminent job loss. NEPA itself claimed that governmental agencies were their biggest debtor with over four billion Naira unpaid electricity bills.
The government's allocation to power has always been inadequate and often underemployed. The present administration is putting a lot into the improvement of the country's power situation by purchasing new power plant units, repairing old units and ensuring gas supply to the gas thermal stations. But if the underlying problems of corruption in the power sector, lack of qualified staff and illegal tapping of power by the consumers are not equally focused on, the problem will only degenerate.
