Amidst repeated power outages, a development the authority blamed on the collapse of the national grid, the House of Representatives last week demanded the phasing out of high energy consuming appliances in Nigerian homes. JOSHUA EGBODO writes on associated issues
An age long challenge
The story of unstable power supply has, according to stories from the hindsight, remained the same over the years. Not even government’s efforts at unbundling and privatising the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), had produced any significant improvement.
The unbundling exercise produced a regulatory agency; the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Generation Companies (GENCOs), Transmission Company of Nigetia (TCN), Distribution Companies (DISCOs), and the trading management government-controlled arm for the system; Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc.
Multiple collapse within months
Nigerians have been experiencing repeated blackout since this began. Electricity distribution companies claimed that the problem was due to collapse of the national grid. A lot of the country’s cities amongst which is the Federal Capital Territory, the seat of power have been in darkness.
Specifically, the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KDEDC) said in an explanatory statement last week said; “Dear Esteemed Customers, the management of Kaduna electricity regrets to inform you that the current outage being experienced in our franchise states is due to a collapse of the national grid…
“We sincerely apologise for all inconveniences,” spokesperson of the company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi who issued the statement said.
Similarly, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over the weekend confirmed the collapse on its Twitter handle. “Please be informed that there has just been a national grid collapse causing an outage in our franchise areas. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and appeal that you bear with us while we await restoration from the TCN. We regret all inconvenience(s) caused,” it said.
Another of the DISCOs, the Jos Electricity Distribution Company said the collapse happened across its distributing states of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau. “Dear customers, there was a loss of supply as a result of the system collapse of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)…across all our franchise states of Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau,” it said.
The same was the story from the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, which said, “Dear Esteemed Customers, a planned outage has been scheduled by our TCN partners for Saturday, April 9, 2022 between 9am and 3pm. This is to enable the TCN crew repair a wounded conductor between Tower #9 and #10 on the Ajah/Alagbon 330kV Line.”
Followers of developments in the sector could recall that there had been cases of similar grid collapse, two times in March 2022. Many Nigerians described the development as a very challenging energy crisis, as it happened when the country was facing scarcity of petrol, and later, a sudden hike in the price of diesel, leaving Nigerians helpless to run businesses, or to have some comfort at home, for those who have standby power generating plants. Similar collapses had occurred in January and February.
Question of the real issues
Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu in the wake of the collapses blamed it all on poor maintenance and shortage of gas. But besides the grid collapse, Nigerians have been experiencing epileptic power supply, as expert reports were that generation was less than 20 percent of the electricity need of the country.
Another issue in question was the capacity of the distribution companies to make use of the power generated. The DISCOs were reported to have insisted on taking only what they want, either for reasons of economic gains, or lack of infrastructural capacity to utilise what is due to them from the GENCOs.
Reps’ concerns
Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution, urging the Federal Ministry of Power and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to immediately establish a sustainable policy aimed at phasing out non-energy efficient appliances or equipment for domestic, commercial and industrial use.
This was sequel to a motion on the need to encourage the importation and use of low energy consuming appliances, sponsored by Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye. The lawmaker in moving the motion noted that energy-efficient appliances help prevent greenhouse emissions and protect the environment as most households use appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, sound systems, computers, ovens, bulbs, air conditioners, and washing machines.
He also noted that countries across the world are using energy-efficient appliances, which is critical to economic development as well as environmental sustainability, expressing concerns that households in Nigeria still use incandescent bulbs with high voltage, which are very expensive and generate too much heat.
According to him, the continued importation of non-energy efficient products will impact negatively on the economic stability of the country. “In some households, the incandescent bulbs have been replaced with light-emitting diodes (LED) bulbs, which are up to ninety percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Observes said the crisis in the country’s power sector will persist if a decisive approach is not employed at controlling domestic, commercial and industrial usage through adopting more efficient means to reduce energy consumption”, he stated.
Away from the concerns
To many analysts, the issue of energy efficient home appliances as canvassed by the House may not be out of place, but having the energy supply first is the issue, and the conservation move follows. In their opinion, even persons with prepaid electricity metres are being clandestinely, and in some cases, openly charged for things undeserved consumptions, leaving them confused on which to adopt between the prepaid and postpaid billing system.
A Bill earlier sponsored by the incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to the effect that every electricity consumer is metered never saw the light of the day.
Who do we blame?
As it is now, survey have pointed out that millions of homes across Nigeria are in darkness. The blame game has, however, remained the same, leaving Nigerians with the helplessness of where to turn to for help. Pundits are asking; where are the expected gains of the privatisation/unbundling exercise by the federal government?
Reps’ concerns amidst lingering power outage
