Ex-Power Minister Barth Nnaji Speaks on Cabal Benefitting From Poor Electricity Supply in Nigeria

• Barth Nnaji has revealed why efforts taken by policymakers to stabilise electricity did not yield desired results
• The former minister of power blamed fuel suppliers and generator sellers for sabotaging electricity supply
• He said this was despite the privatisation of the electricity generation and distribution arms of the industry.

Barth Nnaji, a former minister of Power, has alleged fuel suppliers and generator sellers are sabotaging efforts to ensure Nigerians have consistent access to power.

The professor made the claim while participating in "The South East Political Roundtable" on Flo FM in Umuahia, Abia State.

FG spent N7 trillion on power

According to the former minister, the ongoing failure of the national grid remained a major source of concern for Nigerians.

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Nnaji confirmed the Federal Government's assertion that it has spent N7 trillion on direct interventions in the power sector since November 2013, despite privatising the industry's electricity generation and distribution units.

Premium Times reported that Nnaji, the chairman of Geometric Power in Aba, mentioned that diesel suppliers and generator sellers pose significant challenges for individuals involved in the power generation industry.

He said:

There are two areas when you talk of the cabal in the sector – the diesel suppliers and generator users.

Nigeria is a big user of generators because of our enormous power needs and those who are in the business would not want any interruption. The diesel suppliers feel that a stable power supply would destroy their business.

Nnaji further asserted that the power industry, like others, had a cabal that benefited from the issues of the insufficient supply of power.

He cited an instance when power was cut down to 30KVA by some men to stop thousands of electricity users while he was in government.

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According to him, the operation was sponsored by a diesel-supplying company.

A 2021 World Bank assessment revealed that 74% of power customers in the nation are dissatisfied with the availability of electricity nationwide.

While 78% of electricity consumers nationwide had access to less than 12 hours of daily power, 93% of metered power users paid their bills on time.

Legit.ng had reported that Dangote Group intends to generate electricity at the Numan Refinery and provide it to the national grid to increase energy output and help the national economy.

According to a recent report, Ghana is planning electricity export to Nigeria as part of its plans to expand energy access.

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Legit.ng earlier reported attempts by the federal government to implement new subsidy for electricity generation companies (GenCos) to mitigate the impacts of the recent increase in gas prices imposed by producers.

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Reports earlier surfaced that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in collaboration with key stakeholders in the industry, is in the final stages of finalising a new agreement for the sector.

Stakeholders insist that a subsidy in the sector will translate to a reduction in tariffs for electricity users and improve electricity supply across the country.

Source: Legit.ng