Over 2,000 megawatts of power stranded in Nigeria

The current power supply challenge in the country has been traced to over 2,000 megawatts of electricity that is stranded.

The Chairman, House Committee on Power, Mr. Daniel Asuquo, (Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency) in a chat with newsmen in Calabar stated that even though the power situation in the country is improving and moving to a steady supply but “I think one of the greatest problems we are having is stranded power which we have not been able to distribute to the people.”

Asuquo said: “It is true by available statistics that we have a capacity of well over 5,000 megawatts but what we are able to distribute today is fluctuating between 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts. So we have well over 2,000 megawatts of power being stranded. You can imagine if that is added what value it will have on our economy by way of industrialisation and the living standard of our people.

“But it is unfortunate that the expectations of Nigerians are not actually met but I can assure that Buhari’s government means well even though we have issues of implementation here and there.

“The policy direction of the government is apt; we just pray that they put in more effort into monitoring and into oversight function making sure that projects are delivered on time. We know we have a major problem of gas in the power sector. We need more investment in the distribution and transmission network, generation is okay.