A COALITION of civil society organisations, led by Good Governance Initiative (GGI), has urged the Federal Government to initiate a new National Energy Policy that will spell out the country’s urgent and emergency energy needs.
The coalition said given the colossal failure the energy sector in Nigeria has witnessed so far the new policy should define the roles required for petroleum, gas, coal, hydroelectricity, solar power, nuclear power and any other sources.
GGI President and Founder Festus Uzoma Mbisiogu, who spoke in Lagos yesterday at a news conference, said the new policy would define the rules of engagement for indigenous participation and for foreign investors.
He said: “It will seek to hold our leaders, particularly the executive accountable for inability to provide Nigeria and Nigerians sustainable and cheap electricity.
“Now that we are at the threshold of another monumental and important phase of our national life- the general elections. As usual, politicians with sweet tongues are selling their manifestoes and principles and ideologies to us without any corresponding assurance on sustainable power.
“It is my strong recommendation that part of the new National Energy Policy must contain a contract, whether social or legal with the would-be-President before he is sworn in. This document, which will form part of the oath office he is to take, should be adequately enshrined in the provisions of our constitution and other social contract documents.
“Its provisions should ensure and stipulate that if at the end of four year tenure the President is unable to give us a steady power supply, he should not stand again for reelection.
“On the surface, this may be difficult, but nothing is ever cast on stone. Part of the way we can achieve economic growth and development, is to continuously interrogate the activities of our leaders, particularly as they concern steady power supply.”
Mbisiogu said instead of organising presidential debates that have no significance or add to the true reflection of our national needs, presidential candidates should be made “to sign documents before the world that if they fail to provide us with the key democracy dividends, Nigerians should not reelect them”.
He said if Nigerians do that and start with power, in the next four years, the citizens would begin to enjoy a steady power supply and industries would be revived and massive employments would be generated.
According to the GGI President, it would be a monumental national tragedy if in the next four years, Nigeria is yet to enjoy constant, uninterrupted, sustainable energy and power.
“It is quite imperative for us to understand that adequate electricity supply stimulates economic activities in any given country, because virtually every economic growth is tied to it.
“In other words, uninterrupted power supply of electricity is as essential as life itself.
“I have an industry located in Owerri, Imo State after I heeded the call by the Federal Government on Diaspora Nigerians to come home and invest. I spend about 600 liters of diesel per day on each three generating sets and that amounts to spending about N20 million on diesels in a month. The truth is that no serious investor would survive under that kind of neck-choking conditions.
“A recent statistics says Nigerians spend average of N60,000 per month on fuel and maintenance of their generating sets, yet government insists it cannot pay more than N30,000 per month as salary, even as over ten thousand Nigerian youth and families have lost their lives to incessant cases of generating fumes.
“Now a little recap here would help us. Currently, Nigeria is the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Endowed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resources. Our current electricity needs stand at 180,000 megawatts, if we must have adequate and stable power supply.
“However, with a potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of electric power from existing plants, we are only able to generate around 4,000 MW, which is grossly insufficient.
“It was this that led to the privatisation of the generation and distribution companies some years back. But the question we ask ourselves is: has this solved our electricity problems? The answer of course is No.
“On the actual privatisation process, loss reduction and investments were the major parameters for assessing and selecting prospective bidders.
“One can effectively argue that the objectives of letting the Generating Companies (GenCos) and the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to fully take charge of the power sector in Nigeria has not achieved the desired results. It is so far characterised by a series of unaccomplished objectives and ineffective strategies. The overriding objectives to improve efficiency and service delivery down the electricity value chain have not yielded the desired results, particularly, the expansion of the transmission and distribution system capacity to meet growing consumer demands.
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“Sadly, the regulatory frameworks that government put in place; tariff order, power purchase agreements, bulk electricity trading etc., to attract and ensure sustainability were not robust and effective to address these objectives.
“As it stands today, the power sector is in dire need of more investments from the private sector, an active plan for renewable energy integration and sustainability.”
He hailed the government for the implementation of its renewable energy policy with the connection of about 450 shops at the popular Iponri Market in Lagos with solar power.
The new policy on power, he said, would save traders and industrialists billions of naira expended in fuelling generating sets, which are not even environmentally friendly due to carbon emission and noise pollution.
