Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh says the Federal Government is now set to begin distribution of 4 million electricity meters promised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The minister who briefed journalists at the end of the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammed Buhari, put the current electricity generation at about 5000 megawatts. According to him, the government is currently rounding off the distribution of the initial one million meters.
Saleh acknowledged that the initial one million meters were grossly inadequate, given the demand for electricity meters by Nigerians.
Amid complaints about estimated billing by power distributing companies, the government rolled out the policy of making meters available to electricity consumers, while repealing estimated billing system, in 2020, February.
The policy which was aimed at protecting unmetered R2 and C1 customers from arbitrary billing was to ensure that electricity consumers are billed at rates comparable to what their metered counterparts are charged.
Saleh said the policy is “ongoing, adding “we have almost finished with phase zero. We are now going into phase one of the distribution of the metres, that is the remaining 4 million the central bank promised to augment with. The first set is one million, we’re about to finish with that, but you know, it’s not the target, one million is very negligible compared to the demand of Nigerians”.
Speaking on power generation, Saleh insisted that power generation has improved. We’re moved from 3000 megawatts. Today we are generating up to 5000 megawatts or over that, so it’s a great improvement”
He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved six memos under the ministry of power, the first being the award of a contract for design, manufacturing and supply of critical spare parts for Crompton Greaves 330 kV, 132 kV and 33 kV circuit breakers to Messrs. Legen Engineering Nigeria Limited in the sum of N298,339,887.04.
The council also approved the award of the contract for the procurement of 50 sets of 400 AH battery banks, 30 to 50 volts and 30 number of 110-volt battery charges for the substation used by the TCN in favour of Messrs. DTS Transformers Electric Industry Limited at the sum of N644,805,953.10.
“The third award of contract is for the procurement of 50 cent also of 132 kV isolators for the TCN in favour of Messrs. Leading Diagonal Engineering Nigeria Limited in the sum of $840,650 plus N53,900,000 within the delivery period of six months.
The fourth one is the award the contract for the design, manufacturing and the supply of three 60/66 MVA 132kV power transformers with accessories and 15 number of 500 kV transformers, 33/0.415kV earthing transformers for the TCN in favour of Messrs. Zhenjiang Transformers Company Limited, in the sum of N1,296,953,044.55 with a delivery period of 12 months.
Others include the award of the contract for the design, supply and installation of Optical Wire (OPGW) and Universal Optical Transportation Network System (OTN) for some critical transmission lines in favour of Messrs. Xinjiang Power and Transportation Company Limited in the sum of $6,800,743.51, plus N668,843,634.74, with a delivery period of 12 months
The council also approved an upward review of the contract for the design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of 1X 100MVA, 132/33kV power transformers at Ogba Transmission Substation, Lagos, in favour of Messrs. Power Control and Appliances Limited, in the sum of $648,038.31, plus N48,342,524.18, with a delivery period of six months.
The projects, he said are geared towards upgrades of the transmission system, to the national grid, so that we can have sufficient power supply to the nation.
He disclosed that government is doing everything to “make sure that first and foremost, the supply is stable. Secondly, the government also wants to make sure that we upgrade the supply, maybe from say 4000 megawatts to 5000 to 6000 to 7000 megawatts and so on. So, the more we y replace some obsolete and outdated equipment, the more we improve the supply of electricity.”
On the proposed tariffs increase, Saleh insisted that “those who are not getting 24 hours are not equally charged like those who are getting 24 hours. So, there is a difference. Until you have a metre, then you’ll know what you consume at the end of the day.
