Ahead of the intending increase in power generation with the coming on stream of the 10 National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) plants, minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has called for more funding for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TNC)to increase it wheeling capacity.
Speaking at the on-going Nigeria Power Forum, Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja yesterday, he also set a target of 150% increase in wheeling capacity of the TCN.
He called on the experts in the sector to learn from the unfortunate experience of under-projection in the Telecommunication sector, urging them to make adequate provision in the area of projection.
He also acknowledged that there was a large number of Nigerians hungry for power both for domestic and industrial uses.
On the expectations from the Conference, the Minister challenged the forum to come up with practicable solutions on critical issues necessary for the sustenance of the electricity market, which he described as fragile.
He assured new and prospective investors of government’s continued support in making the emerging electricity market conducive for all players, stressing that government’s target of 75 per cent generation by 2020 would reverse the current low access which is put at less than 40 per cent with more than 25 million households without access.
Earlier, the Forum Service Delivery Manager, Stephen Bourne, in his welcome address, said that as active participants in the Nigeria power since 2009, he had realised the need for collaboration on the part of consumers and government.
He said such synergy would help in checking the menace of vandalism which he identified as a major hindrance in the delivery of power for the Nigerian people.
The founder of the forum, CWC Group Limited, Dr. Alirio Parra, described the recent handover of power assets to private concerns as unparalled.
“It is the most ambitious undertaking of this sort, anywhere in the world,” he said.
He said little wonder that investors world over were attracted to be part of Nigeria’s privatization programme.
