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FG Ready to Resolve Tariff Shortfalls In Power Sector – Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured that the inauguration of a board for the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) will enhance ongoing efforts to resolve liabilities relating to tariff shortfalls for distribution companies, among other challenges plaguing the nation’s power sector.
The company has been running without a duly constituted board since the first one was inaugurated in 2013 and dissolved shortly after.
Speaking weekend at the virtual inauguration of the new 10-man board of NELMCO in Abuja, Osinbajo stressed that the inauguration marks an important milestone in the bid to resolve the liabilities relating to tariff shortfalls in the power sector (specifically for Distribution Companies), and to provide a veritable mechanism for managing the very dynamic nature of the liquidity challenges of the power sector in Nigeria.
According to him, “this ceremony formally brings on board the invaluable skills and experience of notable and highly respected personalities as members of the Board of NELMCO.”
On what is expected from the new board, the Vice President told the members that, “as a board, you are expected to make conscious and deliberate efforts to develop appropriate strategies to facilitate the successful conclusion of the outstanding pre-privatisation issues of the defunct PHCN, and ensure an effective implementation of NELMCO’s additional mandate to resolve the tariff shortfall problems of the Electricity Distribution Companies.
“In view of the challenges ahead, you are expected to draw extensively on our experience over the years, to continue to give credence to the Federal Government of Nigeria’s economic development programme in a transparent, sustainable, credible and acceptable manner.
“The Board is required to take appropriate steps to also ensure that the interests of the various segments of our society, particularly the ordinary citizens, are protected in the implementation of NELMCO’s mandate”.
Commenting on the board’s mandate, Osinbajo charged members to diligently carry out the responsibilities assigned to the board in accordance with the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association (MEMART) of the Company.
Some of the provisions of the MEMART of the Company include: To assume and administer the stranded debts of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc pursuant to the provisions of Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005.
To manage post-privatisation liabilities in the power sector as may be directed by the National Council on Privatisation, or any authorized agency of the Federal Government from time to time in line with the power sector reform act 2005.
Responding on behalf of the members, the Board Chairperson and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, assured the Vice President of the board’s preparedness to ensure quick resolution of tariff shortfalls and related issues in the power sector in the most efficient manner.
Other members of the board include the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Director General of Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh; Director General of Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha;
Managing Director of NELMCO, Mr. Bayo Fagbemi and Mr. Muhammad Aliyu Jumma’a.
Other members of the board are Mr. Olufunso Olutola Olukoga; Dr Chinedum Orisakwe; Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas and Dr Nurain Hassan Ibrahim.
In a related development, the BPE Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, has said the take-over of four electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) namely that of Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan and Port Harcourt has been concluded successfully.
Okoh, who disclosed this in a presentation made at a virtual meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) added that the challenge in the takeover of the Benin DISCO is being addressed.
The NCP is chaired by the Vice President who was represented at the meeting by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who also doubles as the Vice Chairperson of the Council.
In his report to the Council, the BPE DG also made a presentation on the concession of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant, inviting NCP to note steps taken by the Bureau to fast track the process.
Okoh thereafter presented for approval a proposal to amend the Procedures Manual of the BPE, especially in the areas of legal framework; reform activities; pre-transaction activities; project advisory and delivery team; receipt of technical and financial transaction strategies, and opening and evaluation of technical proposals, among others.
August 21, 2022
2023: Power Must Shift To South —Middle Belt Forum
THE Middle Belt Forum (MBF), on Sunday, warned those clamouring that the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari should come from the North should shelve the idea in the interest of the country.
The organisation said the solution to the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria especially insecurity is a power shift from the North to the South in 2023. Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the national president of the forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu pointed out that some Nigerians still have the mentality of slavery and strong belief that the North must have its way irrespective of the circumstances on the ground.
He said that the insecurity in the North was the creation of some elite, who are out to make life unbearable for the common man in an attempt to promote their interests.
Pogu said: “Rational thinking persons should be tired of leadership in the North though many voices in the North have come up to say zoning or rotation is the solution to the problem on the ground in Nigeria. We are saying let the presidency go to the South and we stand by our position.
“The right thing to do is to say the right thing. The North has had its share and we have seen what the North has done with nearly eight years of the Buhari administration and it is nothing to write home about. The security of lives and property, as well as the welfare of the people which are the primary functions of government and none of these, has been guaranteed by northern leaders.
“For the North to insist to lead this country in 2023, it means the North is aware of what is happening and it wants it to continue. The voices of reason will continue to tell the north no; we cannot accept another eight years of northern rule. Those clamouring for a northerner to rule again are part of the problems.
“In short, it is like we don’t have a government in place because where you have a government all these atrocities will not be condoned,” he said.
“In 2023, Nigeria needs a leader who believes in Nigeria; a leader that is not nepotic the way we have now; a leader who will obey the rule of law and a detribalised leader that will take the whole country as his constituency.”
On its part, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to desist from working against rotational presidency between the North and South. Ohanaeze stated this in a statement by the Secretary General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and made available to newsmen.
According to Isiguzoro, continuation of the northern presidency beyond the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari will not augur well for the equity and fairness in the country.
The statement read: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide has cautioned desperate politicians working against the gentleman pact of rotational presidency between the North and the South in 2023.
They should be aware of the fact that changing the narratives with falsehood and fallacies temporarily for inordinate ambition will have disastrous consequences if achieved by 2023.”
January 31, 2022
IBB: How late Abacha outsmarted prominent Nigerians to get to power
Former military head of state, brahim Badamasi Babangida has narrated how former military ruler, Sani Abacha deceived “prominent Nigerians” to get to power.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust TV, Babaginda said Abacha deceived Nigerians by promising to return the country to civilian rule after deposing Shonekan.
Babangida,“Abacha’s government was very smart. They knew who were the most vociferous discussants about the election, about the coup, about June 12 and so on.
They started talking to them and sold a dummy to them and encouraged them to get rid of the interim government: ‘when we get rid of the interim government, we will bring you back to come and take over your democracy so that a civilian government would be installed’.
“They sold that dummy to the public and to some prominent persons within the society, and when Abacha stepped in, there were drumming and sighs; ‘Good thing! Next thing is going to be a democratically-elected government’. I knew, we knew, that it wouldn’t be because the argument was: ‘Why should I risk my life only to come and hand over power to you?’ That was what happened.
“I knew it will not come as a surprise because even though I was outside – outside the service – I knew what was going on.”
January 22, 2022
We’ve Invested Massively in Roads, Rail, Power, Airports – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said his administration had invested extensively in critical infrastructure and economic projects, stressing that the possibilities being created through the investments for Nigerians and foreigners are enormous. Buhari also declared that investment in gas was a top priority of his government, as it had huge benefits in terms of financial returns and generation of power.
The president spoke in Paris while playing host to Managing Director of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr. Mohammed Al-Jasser, and Chief Executive Officer of Total Energies, Patrick Pouyanne, on the sidelines of the three-day Paris Peace Forum (PPF), which began in the French capital on Thursday.
Speaking at the meeting with the IDB boss, Buhari emphasised his administration’s commitment to infrastructural renaissance for Nigeria, saying, “We are struggling very hard on infrastructure, because there can’t be sustainable development without it.”
He said, “When infrastructure is in place, our people can look after themselves.”
The president emphasised that looking at the vastness of the country, “We need roads, rail, power, airports, housing, and that is what we have engaged ourselves with in the past six years.
“And our people are seeing the new developments. Relative to the resources available to us, we have not done badly.”
He appreciated IDB for its support so far, saying; “What we are so dependent on (crude oil) has lost a lot of energy. It is coming back gradually, and we are breathing a bit more with some confidence. But we expect greater cooperation from you.”
Earlier, Al-Jasser said he was glad to see the level of collaboration between Nigeria and IDB since he assumed office three months ago. He told Buhari that he was impressed by Nigeria’s policies on infrastructure, saying it would give “opportunities to youths, and encourage the private sector.”
He added, “Nigeria is a pivotal country to us, and it deserves all the help it can get.”
The IDB boss said the main role of the bank was to promote development among its stakeholders, saying it would continue to lend a helping hand to Nigeria.
Buhari stated when he received Pouyanne that Nigeria had made huge investments in gas, adding that the country would continue to create opportunities for expansion, while looking at creating alternatives with renewable energy. He said Nigeria was mindful of the target of zero emission by 2060, and had started putting in place structures to ensure balance and safety for citizens and the global community.
In his remarks, the CEO of Total said the French oil giant had been greatly encouraged by the support for investors in Nigeria. He said the company would continue to explore and pursue opportunities of mutual interest.
Pouyanne noted that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), led by Mele Kyari, had provided a strong support base and partnership for growth, assuring that investments in the gas sector would be sustained with consideration for renewable energy.
During the opening of the three-day forum yesterday, Buhari flayed the disparity in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines between developed and developing nations since the pandemic broke out last year. He canvassed an end to the hoarding of vaccines by lifting export restrictions imposed by some countries.
Delivering a keynote address entitled, “Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Coordination Among All Actors for Vaccine Delivery,” at the forum, which held at Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, Buhari submitted that the coordination for distribution of the vaccines needed to be total while the objective had to be the same to deliver vaccines to the world.
According to him, the state of vaccine delivery across the world leaves much to be desired.
He stated, “We have a situation where some countries are giving booster third doses for their citizens when millions across the world, especially in the developing world, are yet to receive a single dose.
“Let us compare vaccination rates to give an idea of the dimension of the problem. According to recent data, as of 4th November 2021, 91.3 doses of vaccine had been given for every 100 persons across the world. On the same date, however, only 14.7 doses of vaccine per 100 persons had been administered in Africa – a clear case of lop-sidedness.
“According to Bloomberg, countries with the highest incomes are getting vaccinated ten times faster than those with the lowest income.
“As of 5th November 2021, Africa had fully vaccinated 77 million persons, amounting to just six per cent of the continent’s population. By comparison, 60 per cent of the European Union population had been fully vaccinated by September 2021. This massive gap between vaccine requirements in Africa and vaccine availability is undermining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic on the continent. Even if Africa were to receive the 600 million doses of vaccine expected to be delivered to the continent by the end of 2021 under the COVAX arrangement, there would still be a considerable shortfall when compared to the population of the continent which currently stands at 1.383 billion.”
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), Buhari stressed that even the planned COVAX deliveries to Africa had been cut by 25 per cent due to supply shortages and export bans.
He said, “This is a major setback for Africa, where it is estimated that COVID-19 vaccine deliveries have to increase from around 20 million doses a month to an average of 150 million doses a month if the target of fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its population by September 2022 is to be achieved.
“So, what needs to be done to plug the gap? How can vaccine availability in Africa be boosted? Who needs to do what?”
The president urged world leaders and global health institutions to follow a regime of enabling access to the COVID-19 vaccines, cautioning that sidelining countries in terms of reach will undermine the entire effort.
He emphasised that export restrictions that encourage needless hoarding of vaccines needed to be lifted, while welcoming pledges by industrialised countries to share vaccines.
Buhari said pledges should be fulfilled in a timely manner, as he appreciated some countries, like France, that had donated vaccines to developing countries.
According to him, “Resolving supply-chain constraints would require better coordination within the manufacturing process; and between manufacturers and end-users.
“There is a clear need for the expansion of vaccine production capacity in Africa. In this regard, African countries already have a roadmap: the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) developed in 2007 by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on the basis of an African Union Summit decision taken in 2005.
“Licensing agreements should be reached with pharmaceutical companies for the transfer of intellectual property and technology to support the production of vaccines in Africa. If global vaccination is the only way to end the COVID-19 pandemic, then all stakeholders must act in a coordinated manner to plug the vaccine supply gap in Africa.”
November 12, 2021
FG reveals its plans on power generation
The Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Agba has revealed that the Federal Government plans to spend about $2.3 billion in the first phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) project, aimed at increasing the nation’s power transmission capacity to 7,000megawatts (Mw).
According to Agba, the objective was to increase the transmission capacity from the current level of just over 5,000Mw to 7,000Mw thereby drawing the country closer to it’s electricity-reliance goal.
“The PPI is structured into various three phases, aimed at increasing power delivered to Nigerians to 7GW in first phase, 11GW in the second phase and 25GW in third phase.” Agba said during the Nigerian Energy Forum (NEF 2020) Webinar in Lagos, tagged: Energy Solution for Sustainable Recovery.
“The project is to be executed at the cost of $2.3billion forms the phase 1 of the PPI and is funded by a loan from a consortium of German Banks for 85 per cent of the contract sum; while 15 per cent counterpart funding is provided by the federal government.
“A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called FGN Powerco is in the process of being set-up following Mr President’s approval. The SPV will warehouse the project’s contingent liability for accountability.
“We have also constituted the Nigerian Project Management Office (PMO) with the sole responsibility of providing project management of the project on behalf of the government,” he said.
Agba also announced that the government will implement the Transmission Enhancement Programme with key development partners to improve the sector.
“The World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), JICA have raised $1.6 billion for Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP), which is ongoing now with major projects as follows:
“The Alaoji-Onitsha, Delta Power Station-Benin and Kaduna-Kano at $410 million and $29 million is intended to build a 330kV Double Circuit 62KM line between Birnin Kebbi and Kamba.
“The Lagos/Ogun Transmission Infrastructure Project (JICA) with $200 million, Abuja Transmission Ring Scheme (AFD)-$170 million and Northern Corridor Transmission Project (AFD & EU) with $274million,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr John Momoh, said the new tariff put in place would address the challenge from stakeholders in power sector. He also said meters would be provided for enumerated customers in a year or two.
September 12, 2020
No ‘dark Christmas’: S African leader promises action over power cuts
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday promised his compatriots that they would not have to suffer through “a dark Christmas,” following power cuts that have thrown the country into disarray and pose a threat to the economy.
He said managers of the embattled power utility Eskom have assured him there would be no further cuts between Dec.17 and Jan. 13 and that “right through to March.
“They will be seeking to do everything they can to restore the stability of the network.”
Ramaphosa met with Eskom leadership on Wednesday after cutting short an official visit to Egypt because of the electricity crisis.
He has come under increasing criticism over the cuts, which have been carried out to relieve pressure on the national grid.
“The load-shedding that our country has gone through has really touched a raw nerve amongst our people,” he acknowledged, using the official term for the cuts.
Load-shedding has led to roads becoming gridlocked because traffic lights do not function, businesses closing and mines halting operations.
“Electricity is … a key driver of our economic fortunes,” Ramaphosa said, pointing to warnings that if the energy problems persist, they could push South Africa into a recession.
The country’s aging power stations are the main problem, he said. They are 37 years old on average, with some as old as 55 years.
But he also attributed the recent load-shedding to wet coal that clogged the system and to “sabotage” by “someone in the Eskom system.” An investigation has been launched, Ramaphosa said. (dpa/NAN)
December 12, 2019
Power: FG taking steps to address challenges —‘ minister
Alhaji Saleh Mamman, the Minister of Power has reiterated Federal Government’s determination to address the country`s power challenges.
Mamman gave the assurance on Thursday in Doka, a community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He spoke at the commissioning of a 47.5 solar energy system at the Doka Rural Hospital, while charging members of the community to protect the facility.
The project was funded by the European Union and implemented by the UKAid in partnership with the Kaduna State Government.
The minister said the project was particularly unique because it was conceived under the technical assistance programme through the Nigerian solar programme.
The minister said the project demonstrated how partnership and collaboration among stakeholders could lead to concrete results.
“In this case, the Department for International Development (DFID) partnered with Kaduna state government to develop this project, providing reliable electricity supply.
“This will improve the lives of the people through improved health care, education, water and job creation.
“Our being here today, reflects a deliberate demonstration of the importance both the state and Federal Government attached to the provision of electricity in remote and underserved communities across the country,’’ the minister said.
He said that government intended to use distributed power generation with locally available resource such as solar to achieve the feat, saying that the support received from development partners was appreciated.
Mamman noted that the Federal Government would continue to provide enabling environment in the form of policy and regulatory frameworks and basic infrastructure to ensure the provision of affordable electricity across the country.
The minister said that the Federal Government had developed the required policies and regulatory instruments that allowed for close working relationship with development partners and the private sector.
This, the minister said, was to lay a solid foundation upon which Nigerians would have access to reliable and sustainable electricity supply at affordable prices.
He listed some of the policies to include Rural Electricity Strategy and Implementation Plan, Mini-Grid Regulations, and Sustainable Energy for All.
The minister said new programmes had also been initiated to support off-grid power which included Renewable Energy Micro-Utility, Energy Education Programme and Energising Economy Programme.
He said that at least, 20 new mini-grid projects had been commissioned across the country between 2017 and 2018 which were mostly developed through public private partnership.
“Our grid power generation capacity today is over 7,500 MW, the transmission capacity has also improved to 7,000MW.
“This development is responsible for the improvement in power supply witnessed by customers all over the country recently.
“ Distribution remains the weak link within our system and is receiving the desired attention at optimising her operations for the good of all.
“ It is my believe that with these efforts, we will soon address the problems of power supply to our teeming population, creating new economic and social development for our people,’’ the minister said.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ketil Karlsen, Head of European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said affordable reliable energy was key to the development of every society.
He said that it would be impossible to build any economy without energy, saying that renewable energy was part of solution of most of the challenges confronting the country.
Karlsen said the European Union would continue to work with the Federal Government to build a better society for the ordinary citizen.
Dr Hadiza Balarabe who represented the Kaduna state governor at the event, thanked development partners for the project, noting that no society could function without a healthy people.
She said the provision of energy was critical to providing good health and improving health care facilities in the state and across the country generally.
“Solar energy has provided for us a much needed solution to the issue of access to universal basic healthcare for all citizens of Kaduna state.
“Since the installation of the first Kaduna solar for health system in 2017, we have been recording substantial increase in patient attendance at the affected hospitals when compared to others without solar,” she said. (NAN)
November 29, 2019