Energy and Power
el-Rufai Proposes Stringent Measures on Electricity Sector
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai and a ministerial nominee has proposed stringent measures in the electricity sector to help boost the sector.
It includes hardline stance against those that bypass metering.
He made this known during the screening of ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu.
According to El-Rufai, the electricity supply situation in Nigeria has defied every government for 60 years.
“Metering is a big issue, a lot of progress has been made by some of the Distribution Companies (Discos).
“In the last three or four years with the support of the CBN and the World Bank, every household should have been metered, every business should be metered.
“Estimated billings is not acceptable. But in addition, Nigeria must take a hard stance against those that steal electricity.
“Those that get electricity by diverting cables; not paying, we must take a hardline stance against it if this sector is to work.
“A lot of advocacy is necessary. People believe that water and electricity should be free, the social services, but they are not; they cost money to produce.
“The least you can do is pay back for the cost of production and handing it to the private sector, they need some return on its investment over and above the cost of production.”
The nominee also raised the issue of distribution saying that in 2013 Discos were privatised.
“We privatised our distribution companies, 11 of them; 60 per cent to the private sector, 40 per cent to be owned by government.
“The idea is that the 40 per cent is supposed to be listed on the foreign exchange so that every Nigerian will be a shareholder in it.
“But that has not happened, 10 years after privatisation, the government is still subsidising electricity in one way or the other.
“The last time we checked it was about N1.6 trillion in the privatised environment. This is unsustainable and unacceptable.”
He, however, said that President Bola Tinubu was committed to ensure Nigeria has stable and reliable electricity supply.
“This is because without electricity, industrialisation is a pipe dream. Without electricity, even agriculture today is not a viable proposition.
“So he is committed to that and he has asked me to work with him to address these problems. So I will do my best to address them.”
Sen. Sunday Karimi (APC-Kogi) while commenting on the nominee said that “your performance in any office you served has been outstanding.
“Your record is there. In FCT as a minister your record is there and as two term governor of Kaduna State.
“I have a very strong petition against you that bothers on security, unity and
coerciveness on the nation and I think that petition has to be considered along this screening exercise.”
Reacting, Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger) said that the nominee has credibility when it came to performance on every assignment he had undertaken for this country.
“And he is not different from any other one that have performed in other places.
“There had been two former governors that had been here and there was a precedence and that precedence as a convention in chambers like this should be sustained.
“And such, I want to propose that El-Rufai too should take his bow.”
While trying to respond to the petition, El-Rufai said “The distinguished senator from Kogi who talked about a petition against me….
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio immediately interjected saying “Perhaps I should inform that I have received petitions from many other people in respect of other nominees but this is not where we are to deal with petitions.
“Our job here is to screen and then of course we can refer petition to where petitions will be dealt with.
“These are the nominees of Mr President. If it is something that is a formal petition before the Senate, we will look at it formally. But there are certain petitions we have to refer back to either the Presidency or security agencies to look at and that has nothing to do with us.
“I think at the time we are going into the issue of confirmation and approval, we will be so advised. So I will want to plead with my brother to take a bow
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
In a major bid to bolster renewable energy infrastructure in North-Central Nigeria, News Engineering Nigeria Limited, in partnership with India-based Mahashakti Energy, has formally declared interest in executing Niger State’s proposed 100-megawatt (MW) solar power project.
The multi-million-dollar clean energy initiative is slated to be funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of News Engineering, Lady Josephine Nwaeze, disclosed this during a strategic visit to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Niger State Liaison Office in Abuja.
Leading a joint delegation of both firms, Lady Nwaeze noted that the visit was designed to present the consortium’s technical capability, track record, and readiness to deliver the project in line with international best practices.
She praised the Bago-led administration for improving security and creating an enabling environment for private sector-driven development.
Presenting the consortium’s technical profile, Business Development Manager at News Engineering, Engr. Henry Akoji, highlighted the firm’s extensive footprint in Nigeria’s power sector. He revealed that News Engineering has successfully executed over 1,000 electrical installation projects nationwide, spanning high-voltage transmission lines, power distribution networks, and rural electrification infrastructure.
”Our renewable energy division has deployed over 100 solar mini-grid projects and distributed approximately 5,000 solar home systems across the country,” Akoji stated.
He emphasized the company’s end-to-end expertise in substation design, transmission line upgrades, project management, and technical capacity building.
Adding a global perspective, the Director of Mahashakti Energy, Ashok Kansal, highlighted his firm’s specialization in power loss reduction and sustainable grid management. Kansal pointed to successful interventions in India, where Mahashakti reduced aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses by 30 to 40 percent.
He assured the governor that the partnership would leverage cutting-edge technology in solar evacuation and distribution infrastructure to minimize energy losses and guarantee a stable power supply across Niger State.
Responding to the proposal, Governor Bago commended both entities for their presentation and demonstrated capacity. However, he emphasized that the state government would conduct rigorous due diligence and technical audits on their past projects before finalizing any contractual agreement.
The proposed 100MW solar initiative forms a cornerstone of Niger State’s broader strategy to bridge its energy deficit, drive industrialization, and expand electricity access.
The state government is expected to complete its technical evaluation before announcing a preferred partner for the Is isDB-backed project.
From Mike Tayese, Yenogoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has sued for patience on the ongoing installation of the state’s independent power project.
The 60-megawatt gas turbine project, which installation commenced in October this year, was earlier scheduled to be completed by December but suffered some logistical delay.
He called on people of the state to have an open mind about the project, which he said now requires a new completion date due to unforeseen challenges.
Diri, who undertook an on-the-spot-assessment of the project at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area on Wednesday, said like other Bayelsans, he was also disappointed that the December completion deadline could not be met.
He, however, stated that his reaction to the delay had been that of understanding rather than being angry as had been noticed, particularly on the social media.
”You can see I have gone round the whole facility. It was based on the working agreement and information available at my disposal that I gave the December date. But as it is with every human endeavor, we must all have an open mind, when it comes to issues, particularly technical matters like this.
”I am as disappointed as any other Bayelsan because I believed that we were going to celebrate the 2025 Christmas with our own independent power, but it turned out not to be so.
”I call on Bayelsans to have an open mind. These technical experts are working virtually 24 hours, but delays like this will certainly come” he stated.
The state’s helmsman implored the people to appreciate the work of the engineers, stressing that a minor mistake was capable of jeopardising the millions of dollars expended on the project.
”For 29 years Bayelsa has been in darkness or has endured epileptic power supply. Now that we are getting close to the day of liberation, some people have become impatient. Let us not behave like the proverbial tortoise in the prison for years that asked to be released immediately as the place was smelling the moment he knew it would regain freedom the next day.”
Governor Diri gave a thumps up to the technical partners, Jampur Group, and its team on ground as well as the Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, saying they were working round the clock to ensure the job was completed.
”Those who have been following me on this inspection would know that work has not stopped even for one day since it started. I am sure the job is more than 90 per cent complete. So let us hold our fire.
“Engineer Olice, I am not putting you under any pressure. From the reports I have, Olice is one of the best electrical engineers in Nigeria.”
The governor, however, hinted that the government was looking at inaugurating the project during its sixth anniversary in February.
The MD of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Kemenanabo, who also spoke, said the state was on the right track towards actualising the project and assured that the alignment of the entire system, including the gas generator and alternator were on course.
He also stated that the remaining two turbines would be delivered to the project site in a few days.
Speaking on behalf of the Jampur Group, Mr. Sherrif Abu-Anif said the company was in good position to meet its own end of the bargain and appreciated the state government for playing its part very well.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun yesterday declared that liquidity was the major hindrance required by the troubled power sector to achieve the desired result of producing steady Power in Nigeria.
This is as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Chiedu Ugbo informed the Senate Committee on Power in Abuja yesterday that the Calabar Power Generation Company under its ownership was the best performing power plant in the country.
In his submission to the Committee investigating the controversial Make up Gas (MUG) Reprocessing Deal Involving the Ministry of Finance, NDPHC, Calabar Generation Company Limited and ACUGAS Limited, the Minister of Finance pointed out that the need for liquidity into the Power Sector remained the key to unlocking it.
The Minister who made the submission through his Special Assistant, Mallam Dahiru Moyi said the agreements on Gas supply between NPDHC and ACUGAS Limited was inherited by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, following after the agreement was signed in 2011 during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
According to him, “just as the Ministry of Justice was not aware of the contract agreement, the Ministry of Finance was also not part of it from the beginning but since government is a continuum, the Ministry of Finance later came into it for the purpose of facilitating the required liquidity.
“The issues on ground about contracts agreements being investigated by the Senate Committee on Power is not about restructuring but providing the required liquidity which the Ministry of Finance is doing through collaboration with the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG).
“Since NLNG pays Gas in Dollars, the Ministry is collaborating with it for a practical solution of bringing liquidity into the age long contract agreement through Deed of Transfer.
“Make Up Gas (MUG) belongs to Calabar, Calabar belongs to NDPHC and NDPHC belongs to Federal and State governments with the Federal Government having 52.68%”, he said.
In his own submission before the Committee, the Managing Director of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo said the company as a result of the Gas supply agreement with ACUGAS Limited was taking Gas from three out of five units and generating power from Calabar plant to the National Grid which according to him was the best power plant in the entire country.
He said NDPHC went out of its way to construct an 80 kilometres gas pipeline for utilization of MUG in Calabar and Alaoji power plants.
He however lamented that problems relating to systemic transition, frequency and voltage issues have not made the firm achieve the desired results.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) thanked the stakeholders for giving the Committee clarity on the issue but added that it was still an ongoing investigation.
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