Energy
Nigeria’s Next President Must Be Brave About Power Sector – CEO, Century Power
By Edozie Obasi-Eze
The crisis-ridden power sector in Nigeria can be easily solved, only if the incoming administration would give the sector the kind of attention it deserves.
Chief Executive Officer, Century Power Generation Limited, Dr Chukwueloka Umeh, expressed the opinion at an online interactive session with media men.
According to him, the next administration, in Nigeria must from its first day in office declare a national emergency on the power sector.
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Dr Umeh who also serves as an Executive Director of Nestoil Ltd as well as the CEO of Nesto Aviation Services Ltd., warned that the current problems in the sector would continue, or even get compounded, if the next government fails to deploy professionals to head the ministry of power and its agencies.
He observed that Nigeria’s power sector was beset with weak infrastructure, illiquidity as well as the issue of square pegs in round holes, leaving the country with over 200 million persons with just a meagre 4,000mw.
The former General Electric Company official noted with concern that while Egypt for example, with about half of Nigeria’s population is producing 57,000mw, while Nigeria continues to struggle to produce 4,000 megawatts. He described the situation as embarrassing and criminal.
In his words, “We should all hide our heads in shame as a country. Some years ago, Nigeria produced 5000mw and everybody was celebrating. I was like have these people lost their minds?”
Dr Umeh made it clear that whoever becomes the next Nigerian president must understand the critical importance of the sector, cut bureaucracy and free the sector from undue government interference, except in a regulatory role.
“It is my hope that whoever is the next president will understand that they need to do something drastically different. They need to be brave. They need to show political bravery and do the right thing.
“They need to remove government handouts from the industry and just have government as a regulator. The administration needs to make sure that the person in charge of the power industry is somebody that understands the industry.
“We don’t want just an administrator. We need somebody that clearly understands the industry, somebody like Prof Barth Nnaji who was the minister of power under Goodluck Jonathan; who is a player in the industry.
“He understood the industry well, and he had the motivation to make it work. So we need somebody like that running the industry. Whoever is the president next year, needs to treat this industry as an emergency. Which means they need to remove all the red tapes stopping things being done quickly,” he added.
According to the Aerospace Engineer, Nigeria should go beyond mere consultations, committees and conferences to the execution of the blueprint to revamp the sector.
“We need to quickly remove the government’s fingers from every part of the sector: Generation, transmission and distribution, and have those people who are not doing well either removed or they are set clear timelines for to fix the problem.
“The next administration needs to reduce the regulations that are barring new entrants from coming into the industry,” he added.
According to Dr Umeh, the Century Power Generation Limited has for years been pursuing a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company Limited (NBET) without success despite the ready international funding for its project in the country.
“I can tell you today. We have spent about a year or more trying to get approval to move gas on the existing pipeline. It is one meeting after the other. This thing should take about two weeks to do. It is taking over a year and we go to meetings, you speak English, you generate minutes of meetings and reschedule for another one, just talking and wasting resources.
“So these things need to be made very quick. Remove all the red tape and allow us to do proper business. I tell people it is not rocket science, but even if it is rocket science, we have rocket scientists,” he maintained.
He pointed out that presently, “there are a lot of people in the industry who have no business being in the power industry because they don’t understand the sector.
“There are a lot of supposed experts that when you speak to them for five minutes, it becomes clear that they don’t really know much about the industry.”
In the short term, he disclosed that Century Power would keep pushing to have a power purchase agreement signed and executed by the government, while working on utility scale plants that may not be as large as the 1,500mw Okija power plant owned by the company.
“They are not quite as large as Okija plant. Just about 20 to 100 megawatts to supply directly industrial clusters and Discos, this is what we’ve been working on doing and to make it in such a way that it will be economically viable to us and to the off-takers,” he explained.
In the wake of a prolonged power crisis impacting Northern Nigeria, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu visited the Zawaciki 1MWp mini-grid project in Kano, underscoring the potential of decentralized renewable energy solutions to alleviate regional power shortages.
The project, operated by Bagaja Renewables, provides daytime electricity to the Gida Dubu community, offering a vital source of power as the region faces widespread blackouts.
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Sadiq Zakari, Managing Director of Bagaja Renewables, welcomed the Minister to the facility and highlighted the critical timing of the visit.
“Bagaja Renewables had the distinct honor of welcoming the Honorable Minister of Power to the Zawaciki 1MWp interconnected mini-grid,” Zakari said.
“This visit comes at a critical time, as Northern Nigeria endures a prolonged blackout, underscoring the urgent need for alternative power solutions.
The Zawaciki mini-grid has been instrumental during this crisis, providing at least 9 hours of daytime electricity to the Gida Dubu community, demonstrating the potential of renewable energy in addressing the region’s energy needs.”
Minister Adelabu praised the Zawaciki project as a model for interconnected mini-grids nationwide, noting its role as a sustainable solution for communities grappling with unreliable power supply.
“The Honorable Minister expressed admiration for the Zawaciki project, recognizing it as a viable proof of concept for interconnected mini-grids across Nigeria,” Zakari stated.
“He emphasized the importance of such initiatives and called on state governors and other key stakeholders to support efforts to decentralize and strengthen the nation’s power infrastructure.
By backing projects like Zawaciki, stakeholders can play an instrumental role in reducing reliance on the national grid and ensuring a more stable power supply for local communities.”
Zakari underscored the transformative potential of private-sector renewable energy projects in Nigeria’s power landscape.
He said, “As we have witnessed here at Zawaciki, private-sector-driven renewable energy solutions can transform Nigeria’s energy landscape. With the right policies and support, we can empower communities and enhance energy resilience, even in times of national power instability.”
In addition to the Zawaciki project, Bagaja Renewables is developing several renewable energy initiatives across Northern Nigeria. Among these are:
Barhim Estate, Katsina: A residential power initiative aimed at expanding energy access for households in the region.
Kura-Karfi Commercial Cluster, Kano: Focused on delivering clean and reliable power to commercial areas, this project aims to support local businesses and stimulate economic growth.
Kafin Hausa, Jigawa: With site fencing completed, Bagaja Renewables is preparing to begin technical design and engineering work for a mini-grid in Kafin Hausa, slated to start construction soon.
Zakari said, “These projects represent Bagaja Renewables’ unwavering commitment to building a resilient, decentralized, and renewable-powered energy future across Northern Nigeria.
“Bagaja Renewables is dedicated to collaborating with the government and stakeholders to scale up renewable energy solutions that will support communities, industries, and essential services.
“We believe that decentralized power generation is the future for Nigeria, and we are eager to contribute to a sustainable, reliable, and inclusive energy system for all.” he added
Power has been restored across Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, and Benue States, bringing relief to residents who endured a 10-day blackout.
The Jos Electricity Distribution Company confirmed that electricity was reinstated around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, prompting celebrations in Jos, the Plateau State capital, and other affected areas.
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The prolonged outage was caused by the tripping of a major 330kV transmission line between Benue and Enugu states, leaving several northern states without power.
The blackout severely impacted daily life and economic activities, with residents expressing frustration over the disruption to businesses, healthcare services, and personal livelihoods.
In response, President Bola Tinubu took swift action, summoning Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to address the crisis.
Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga disclosed on Monday that President Tinubu directed the Ministry of Power and relevant agencies to expedite restoration efforts.
“President Tinubu is deeply concerned about the reports of vandalism and deliberate destruction of essential power infrastructure,” Onanuga said in a statement.
“The President has tasked TCN engineers with bringing immediate relief to the affected states and implementing a long-term solution to prevent future outages.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGN Power Company) has announced significant progress in the pilot phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), which is set to revolutionize the nation’s electricity transmission landscape.
The initiative, in partnership with Siemens, aims to enhance the country’s power infrastructure through the deployment of advanced technology and equipment.
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Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of FGN Power Company, revealed that the installation and commissioning of eight power transformers across key locations are now complete.
The transformers have been successfully deployed in Ajah, Maryland, Apo, Okene, Ihovbor, Amukpe, Potiskum, and Birnin Kebbi, resulting in a notable increase in the transmission wheeling capacity by 569.6 megawatts (MW).
In addition to the transformers, three mobile substations are operational in Ajah, Jebba, and Kawnar Dangora, further boosting the transmission capacity by an additional 151.2 MW.
Anuwe emphasized that these enhancements are pivotal in addressing the energy needs of the country and supporting economic growth.
Looking ahead, Anuwe stated that the transmission network will be augmented by an impressive 720.8 MW, with plans to commission the remaining equipment to deliver at least another 500 MW by the end of 2024.
This strategic initiative is expected to significantly improve power distribution and reliability, marking a transformative step towards a more robust energy sector in Nigeria.
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