The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has disclosed that the Federal Government has acquired about 10 mobile power substations to tackle challenges of fault on the substation nationwide.
A statement issued Thursday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the minister on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, quoted him speaking during a meeting with the Forum of Commissioners of Energy in Nigeria.
Adelabu, who drew attention to Abia State where Geometrics Power Limited established a 188-megawatt power-generating plant supplying and distributing power to eight local government areas in the State, advised the state government to get involved in distribution networks in their states and also bridge the metering gap.
He said: “They (Abia residents) enjoy 24-hour power supply, this is what we want states to also adopt, and it might look difficult, but with tenacity and if we endure, it is achievable. You can then discuss with the DisCos how to capitalise on your investment.
“State government can get involved in picking the executive management of the DisCos. You already have about 40 percent of the shares of the DisCos. You need to discuss this with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) on the shares.
“If a state buys about 10,000 meters, all that needed to be done is to agree with the DisCos on capitalising the investment. You should know who you are dealing with at the state level and if you invest in the power infrastructure, you would know who to hold responsible.
“It is easy for the states and DisCos to work together on distribution. As a state, you are in a position to know the unserved and the underserved or where there is weak infrastructure that States can invest in. Once we can attend the challenges from 36 points, we will have solved a lot of our electricity problems”, he said.
The minister also said with the efforts put in place to address the challenges in the sector, Nigerians should be patient as an irregular power supply would soon be a thing of the past in the country.
“We are poised to address the root cause of the electricity challenge. We have done enough diagnostics, we know the cause of the problem, and we are now in the implementation stage. We have realized that in the past, temporary solutions were applied to the challenges without dealing with the root cause,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Forum, who is also the Commissioner of Power and Energy, Cross River State, Prince Eka Williams, had re-affirmed the forum’s unflinching support towards the outstanding visions, ideas, and electricity reforms of the Federal Government.
He noted that the Electricity Act has given the states the responsibility of running the affairs of electricity in the state.
Williams emphasized the readiness of the states to jointly put in effort to make sure the issues and fundamental challenges are resolved.
