The Minster of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that the ministry would do all it could to ensure that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) step up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”
The minister also said that ongoing power upgrade and investment in the power sector would improve electricity supply within the next three to six months.
Adelabu, who spoke during a working visit to some ongoing projects in Maryland and Alausa substations in Lagos, said that upgrading of some substations in Lagos by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had commenced on 30MVA transformers to 100 MVA and 205 MVA in Maryland and Alausa, respectively.
He said that investment across Distribution Companies (DisCos) was low due to the unavailability of funds to carry out infrastructure upgrades, appealing to the companies to ensure good service delivery to justify tariff review.
According to him, the ministry would do all it could to ensure that DisCos up their games through massive investment, noting, “if that fails, it will resort to legal backing.”
Adelabu bemoaned the rising cases of vandalism of power assets across the country, recommending capital punishment for vandals.
He labeled vandals of power assets as “killers of people and saboteurs of business growth”.
“We need scapegoats. We are ready to give them the right punishment in terms of prosecution.
“Punishment for vandals should go beyond six months jail term. Capital punishment should be meted out for power vandals. They kill people, and they kill businesses,” he said.
He said it remained worrisome that the country with an installed capacity of 13,000MW was generating a paltry 5,000MW.
The minister said the government to further advance his strategy of overcoming the present impasse, Adelabu pledged to change his master plan from top-to-bottom approach to bottom-to-top.
Adelabu urged Nigerians to continue contributing positively to the growth of the country in spite of the current economic challenges.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mrs. FolakeSoetan, said that the company had achieved a lot in terms of infrastructure upgrades and capital expenditure.
Soetan said that the company’s total CAPEX in 2015 was N5b but grew to N50.58b in 2023.
She added that average revenue collection in 2015 was N3.75b and grew to N18.22b as at 2023.
On metering, she said 30,000 meters were deployed to consumers as at 2015, while the figure hit 800,000 as at 2023.
Soetan lamented that revenue collection in the industry was largely hampered by the huge metering gap and non-payment of bills.
