The Senate and House of Representatives on Monday commended the Minister of Energy, Adebayo Adelabu, for the remarkable improvement in power supply across the country.
The commendation was awarded when the Minister appeared before both chambers of the National Assembly for the presentation of the Ministry's budget.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, said there have been improvements in supply, adding that more needs to be done to get Nigeria to where it should be and was supported by Senator Ashiru Oyetola who said the The Minister's first appearance before the Senate Committee clearly showed his understanding of the task before him.
“The knowledge he demonstrated during his first appearance shows an understanding of the industry and this has been reflected in the performance of the Ministry under him. However, I must say that there is still a lot to do.”
In the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Power Committee, Honorable Victor Nwokolo, said the Minister impressed the Committee and should have simply bowed and walked away, “But we will be shirking our responsibility if we do not do the right thing. as representatives of the Nigerian people who have elected us.”
Also speaking were the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy, Hon Afam Ogene, Members representing Surulere 11, Hon Lanre Okunlola and Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Delta, Hon Ezechi Nnamadi, noted improvements in supply energy and urged greater engagement with members of the National Assembly to understand the areas that need further government interventions.
The Minister earlier in his presentation said that when he was appointed, the generation was approximately 4,100 megawatts and in one year, the capacity increased by more than 1,000 megawatts.
“We reached a maximum capacity of 5,270 megawatts. Improvements in generation capacity were due to improvements in the operation of existing power plants and the commissioning of new plants. “This momentum was driven in part by efforts to ensure more efficient use of existing infrastructure and the completion of some energy projects,” he said.
Adelabu also revealed that to address the electricity challenge facing the nation, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will need about N2.779 trillion to execute its 149 projects spread across the country, many of them at different stages of completion.
He informed lawmakers that the start of the second phase of the Siemens Energy Project under the Presidential Energy Initiative has been approved with a completion of 95 percent of the pilot stage in 2024. He said the project will energize the supply of energy, as it would involve the construction of five substations throughout the country and permanently address the problem of grid collapse.
“I am happy to appear today to address you on what we have been able to accomplish last year and what is expected of us as a ministry this year. For TCN alone, we will need about N2.779 trillion to be able to execute the 149 projects we are currently involved in across the country. Our total budget as a Ministry is not even enough for this but as the saying goes, half a loaf is better than nothing.
“I am telling you this so that you are aware of the amount of money that is needed in the ministry so that we can address our electricity challenges. We need your cooperation and collaboration to achieve Mr. President’s mandate in providing electricity to Nigerians,” the Minister said.
Speaking further on the Siemens project, Adelabu said the substations to be built across the country would address the country's fragile electrical infrastructure, caused by outdated and obsolete equipment.
“The Federal Government is fully determined to address these challenges and issues that have been blocking our progress in our endeavor to provide electricity to Nigerians and our consumers. Of particular interest is grid collapse, which has to do with the obsolete and outdated equipment surrounding our power plants.
“To address this practically, the Siemens project will be launched in the first quarter of this year. We have almost completed the takeoff of the project and it will consist of the construction of five substations throughout the country. This will energize our supply so that the problem of grid collapse will be a thing of the past. Next week we will begin the contracts for the substations that will be incorporated.”
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