In Nigeria today, one thing like no other is certain: Never Expect Power Always. Some have called those four words the most appropriate acronymn for the nation’s only power generating utility, the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), the highly inefficient power utility was broken down in April 2004 into the Power Holding Company Nigeria Ltd. (PHCN)

A total of 18 new companies were created for the generation and distribution; and to ensure effective, efficient and stable power. Today however, the power sector is in a terrible state, generating far below expectation.

In a recent report, the country is said to be losing up to a whopping N66 billion through power failure and its influence on market and the provision of services. “Most industries now have to depend on power generators in these days of the ever increasing cost of diesel and PMS (petrol)”, A Lagos-based businessman complains. “This is surely one of the causes of inflation”, he concludes.

The Newspaper reports: “The World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme have put Nigeria’s economic losses as a result of absence of constant electricity supply at about N66 billion per year.”

“With quality and constant power supply and with good security of lives and property, Nigeria would have solved about 60 per cent of her problems. This is because economic activities would strive and there will be increased of Direct Foreign Investment (DFI)”, it continued.

Yesterday however, a new twist was added to the quest for power, when the Federal Government beat a retreat in its mission to improve power generation in the country. It said the target of hitting 10,000 megawatts of electricity by 2010 was no longer feasible and may now be achieved the following year.

The Federal Government announced that it would now spend a total of N1.419 trillion on power infrastructure over the next two years. Minister of State for Energy (Power), Hajia Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja.

The existing power stations and their installed capacities are: Egbin Thermal Station, Lagos (1,320 MW); Afam Thermal, Rivers State (969 MW); Sapele Thermal, Delta State (1,020 MW); Ijora Thermal plant, Lagos (40 MW); Kainji Hydro Station, Niger State (760 MW); Jebba Hydro Station, Niger State (578.4 MW) and Shiroro Hydro, Niger State (600 MW).

Existing IPPs, according to the projections, are expected to contribute 750 MW by 2010 while the proposed JVIPPs and other IPPs are expected to generate 2,790 MW and 1,365 MW respectively into the national grid.

The report continues.

“Under the new arrangement, Ibrahim said the NIPP would contribute an estimated 1,140mw, while Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were expected to contribute 1,300mw to bring generation to 6,040Mw by 2009.”

“She said since all the three tiers of government had agreed to use part of their share of the excess crude account to support the power sector, both the federal and state governments would have to go to their various lawmakers to appropriate the said amount before it would be released for the projects.
The minister said while power generation by December 2008 is estimated at 4000mw, 10,000mw would only be attained by 2011, not 2010.”

For the next two years therefore, until the government comes up with another excuse to shift the deadline, citizens of the country and the various businesses would have to make do with erratic power failure which is now encapsulated in the new acronym for the new power utility, PHCN: Please Hold Candles Now!