The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) Executive Secretary, Joy Ogaji, has blamed the woes of the power sector on the weak transmission infrastructure of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
In a telephone interview at the weekend, Ogaji said the GenCos have installed capacity of about 12, 500megawatts (Mw) that is not being used while the transmission capacity is put at 5,500Mw noting there is a great difference.
She said: “If there are blackouts in parts of the country, then it is not from our station; it is not due to generation fall, we are generating enough and we have enough capacity.
“So, I have the power and there is no transporter to transport it, and when you check the capacity of DisCos, they have only 4,600Mw capacity, and you have a producer who is producing up to 12,500Mw but the people to take it can only transport 5,500Mw. Then the retailers who take it to Nigerians can only take 4,600Mw.
“So, what are we looking at? Are we serious? Under normal circumstances, if the GenCos have 12,500Mw, then the transmission companies should be able to have up to 14,000Mw because the capacity should exceed what is even available.
“They are not even getting up to 10,000Mw. When will they be able to take this power? There is disparity, Nigerians need to start asking questions.
“You say you are increasing power. Which power? If generators are generating, how do we get the power? You and I should know that power cannot be fetched in bottles and buckets and put on the shop for sale and everybody go and pick it. It has to be transmitted and it has to be distributed, if these things are not aligned, and synchronised how then can the promises come to be.”
According to her, until the government starts putting all the necessary things in place, it will take some time to fix the Nigerian power sector.
She said some people may be sabotaging the power sector but argued that if the sector is critically looked at, the DisCos don’t have the capacity to take the power that is being generated and the TCN does not have the network to transmit the power that is generated.
On gas supply, Ogaji said the generators could not pay for gas because the gas sellers were selling it according to who could pay. Gas is still a problem, to them you pay before service; if you don’t pay they cannot give you she added.