The Nigerian electricity market debt to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has increased to N457 billion.
This was disclosed by the Executive Director, TSP, Engr. Oluwabenga Ajiboye, at the Three-Day TCN Media Workshop for Energy Correspondents, held on Wednesday in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The Workshop, with the theme, “Understanding the Critical Role of TCN in Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI),” was organised to deepen the knowledge of the journalists reporting the power sector.
According to him, legacy debt account for N217 billion of the total amount, while N240 billion is current debt.
Engr. Ajiboye who represented the TCN Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, stated that to achieve efficient power supply to Nigerians, the power value chain must not be broken.
“The strengths must be uniform and be able to deliver the end product,” he added.
Speaking on vandalism of TCN infrastructure, he said the company has over 45,000 towers spread across Nigeria, and lack the capacity to protect them, therefore, required the collaboration of all Nigerians.
He jettisoned the idea of the deployment of technology as the company lacks the funds to undertake such project.
Despite these challenges, he said the TCN has made some significant progress by improving its operational capability and wheeling capacity to about 8,701 megawatts.
Earlier, the General Manager, TCN, Mrs Ndidi Mbah said the workshop was organised to upskill and expand the capacities of the journalists, especially, those who are new in reporting the power sector.
She noted that the workshop was also strategic to clarify the roles of TCN and that of the newly created Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), following the unbundling of TCN as mandated by the Electricity Act, 2023.
