The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has disclosed that the current administration achieved 5,155. 99 megawatts peak power generation on the 9th of August, 2024, the highest recorded in the country in three years.
Chief Adelabu disclosed this while receiving the Conference of Civil Societies/Civil Military Cooperation (CIMICO), Citizen Committee on Energy Security, led by Comrade Adams Otakwu, on a courtesy visit to his office at the Power House on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said, the feat was significant considering the fact that the power generation in the country was less than 4000 megawatts when the current administration came into office, expressing confidence that the target of 6,000megawatts by December 2024, would be met.
Adelabu said, it was shameful that after over 60 years since independence, the nation’s power generation for over 220 million people was still hovering around 5000MW, blaming the abysmal performance of the sector on the actions and inactions of the past administrations.
This, he said, was unlike South Korea that has 49million people and generating 130,000megawatts of power. Adding that even China that has larger population of 1.4billion is generating 1.3 billion megawatts of electricity.
The Minister maintained that the power sector is a priority sector, therefore, critical to the development of all other sectors of the economy.
While expressing concern that the unwillingness of electricity consumers to pay bills, power theft through meter bypass and vandalization of power installations may stall the progress so far made in the sector, the Minister called on well-meaning Nigerians to protect the power assets, and work towards the sustainability of the current achievements.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Comrade Adams Otakwu, pledged the group’s unalloyed support for the minister and the Ministry.
Comrade Otakwu who commended the minister for the feat so far achieved, encouraged him to double his effort to ensure that the country achieves maximum power supply.
While stating that national security and development is a collective responsibility of everyone, Otakwu assured the Minister of the group’s firm commitment to the protection of the power assets across the country.
He submitted four payers that would foster collaboration between the group and the ministry to include, a strategic meeting between the committee, and the heads of Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), Effective implementation of the Power Consumer Assistance Fund (PCAF) which will go a long way in enhancing the sector, and working with the ministry to hold first summit on PCAF, the ministry to key into the civic engagement on energy security, and attend Annual Civil Military Conference.
Responding, Adelabu saluted the patriotic and nationalistic zeal of the CSOs in protecting the nation’s power assets across the country.
He said, the meeting was strategic because it was going to send the right signals to the vandals of power assets that it is no longer business as usual.
“One of the basic amenities that guarantee livelihood is energy. We need it in everything we do. No sector can operate optimally without stability in the power sector.
“We all know what vandalization of our power assets or national assets is, the negative role it plays in depriving us of stable electricity supply to our households, to our businesses, to our educational institutions, health and industries in general, so protection of such assets should be one of our greatest priorities in this part of the world.
“One of the major electoral promises of President Bola Tinubu is to provide stable electricity supply to all of us, he cannot achieve that without the kind of work you are doing”, the Minister said.
He, therefore, assured that there will be regular interaction with the Civic group facilitated by the ministry to move the sector forward.
On PCAF, he said, why it has not been activated fully was because of the issue of tariff and subsidy. Stating that “If you are still subsidising the tariff, where will you get the money to fund PCAF, because it should be funded from the tariff”.
Nevertheless, he disclosed that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was working to ensure the full implementation of PCAF.
He assured of the ministry’s participation in the ongoing civil community engagement on energy security and the forthcoming annual civil- military conference.
High point of the meeting was the induction of the Honourable Minister as a permanent member of the Civil Military Cooperation (CIMICO), Citizen Committee on Energy Security.
