Energy crisis: Nigeria’s electricity generation drops 37% to 2,649.9MW

Forum 10 months ago

Energy crisis: Nigeria’s electricity generation drops 37% to 2,649.9MW

Nigeria’s electricity generation, yesterday, dropped by 37 per cent to 2,649.9 megawatts, MW, from 4,207.05 MW recorded on Wednesday, this week.

This is even as the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) backs President Bola Tinubu on Autogas moves to focus on Autogas in the Wake of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy removal.

Checks by Vanguard indicated the situation occurred because of many factors, including the poor state of plants and low gas supply to thermal plants.

It showed that this was grossly inadequate for transmission and distribution to households and organisations in different parts of the nation, a development that pushed the Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, to embark on load shedding in order to spread the limited electricity to many at different times.

Relevant government agencies did not provide details at the time of filling this report.

However, the NGA, the umbrella body and the lead voice of the operators and players in the country’s entire gas value chain, said it remains proud to support the Federal Government’s renewed focus on prioritising autogas to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

In a statement obtained by Vanguard, it stated: “The leadership of the NGA believes that this policy leaning is very apt as it accelerates the domestic adoption and utilisation of gas, a resource that the country is most endowed with. Gas for the transportation sector and also for users of small generators, whether powered by Liquefied Petroleum Gas or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), is one of the most affordable, available, safe, and reliable fuels that also substantially addresses global carbon emission concerns and the wellbeing of the environment.

“To achieve this, the NGA urges the Federal Government to revisit and accelerate the implementation of the Nigerian Autogas Policy launched two years ago as part of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) under the well-articulated Decade of Gas Policy and Programme.”

The President of the Association said that the refocus on gas as an alternative fuel for passenger, mass transit vehicles and users of small generators will encourage and stimulate investment, promote capacity building, put more people to work, and engender safety and sustainability in the country’s responsible energy use while helping Nigeria meet her carbon emission reduction goal set before global environmental stakeholders in 2021. Gas is cleaner, safer and more reliable and should naturally be the fuel of first choice.

He stated: “We salute the steadfastness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in his quest to return Nigeria to responsible and sustainable energy utilisation. We are also elated about his recognition of the critical and game-changing role that gas would play in actualising this policy direction and helping build the nation.

“The members of the NGA are very keen to support the implementation of the autogas policy and stand ready to commence the strategic engagements and enlightenment campaigns to make it happen.”

Nwokedi also urged the Federal Government to put in place and fast-track the necessary instruments and regulatory support to address long-standing issues to unlock the full potential of the gas sector be it on market-reflective gas pricing, intervening on legacy issues inhibiting gas investors and investments, gas supply challenges and outlining finance support programmes to encourage the front-end expense of converting millions of vehicles from petrol to gas.