Nigeria: Govt - 10,000MW No Longer Feasible By 2010
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This Day (Lagos)
15 August 2008
Posted to the web 15 August 2008
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Abuja
The Federal Government yesterday beat a retreat in its mission to improve power generation in the country. It said the target of hitting 10,000 megawatts of electricity by 2010 was no longer feasible and may now be achieved the following year.
The announcement came as the Federal Government announced that it would spend a total of N1.419 trillion on power infrastructure over the next two years.
Minister of State for Energy (Power), Hajia Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja.
Ibrahim said the new budgetary plan would not only focus on key power projects but would also explore the possibilities of bringing in coal, hydro and renewable energy sources into the power generation system in order to improve the power situation in the country.
Ibrahim stated that some of the projects to be captured included the Mambila Hydro Project, which would gulp a total of N394 billion; National Integrated Power Plants (NIPP) estimated to be completed with N355.28 billion and the expansion of transmission grid projected to gulp N323.511 billion. It will also involve the rehabilitation of existing power plants.
Under the new arrangement, Ibrahim said the NIPP would contribute an estimated 1,140mw, while Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were expected to contribute 1,300mw to bring generation to 6,040Mw by 2009.
She said since all the three tiers of government had agreed to use part of their share of the excess crude account to support the power sector, both the federal and state governments would have to go to their various lawmakers to appropriate the said amount before it would be released for the projects.
The minister said while power generation by December 2008 is estimated at 4000mw, 10,000mw would only be attained by 2011, not 2010.
She gave the assurance that efforts had been stepped up to improve power supply in the country with the distribution of 600 distribution transformers and other materials to all the distribution zones.
According to her, the Mambilla hydroelectric project was ongoing, while the contractors for 950mw Zungeru hydro plant were expected to bring in about 80 per cent contractual financing.
She said Nigeria could generate more power from the hydro plants but does not want to exhaust her hydro-energy resources.
"Right now, we are not powering Shiroro. It has the potential to give us 600mw. But we want the water to collect and fill up. Even Kainji and Jebba, we are not firing them to full capacity because we are trying to manage the water," she said.
On the report of the House Committee on Power which allegedly indicted many officials of the sector for their roles in the NIPP, Ibrahim said two layers of management was created in the NIPP and that partly led to the non-harmonisation of the projects.
She explained that such confusions would be corrected and a strict financial procedure introduced when the Federal Government and the states come up with the resources for completing the project.
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"Once we are able to pay, we will put in place another verification structure that will make sure that every payment is adequately verified before it is released. The money allocated by the three tiers of government will not be in the ministry, PHCN or NIPP account. It will be ringed fenced in CBN and only after real certification will be released," she said.
Read comments. Write your own.
I hope you popel realize your condeming Yar Adua for setting goals. Its amazing but there's nothing a Nigerian can do that Nigerians will support without tearing the person apart. Half of you haven't been to Nigeria in ages cause your scared to go where your from, and therefore haven't see the astonishing amount of progress that is happening in the country. If Yaradua needs an extra year more power to him so long as it is done, and disgusted that you people are literally waiting at the edges of you computer seat to see the article that says NIGERIA… [Read Full Text]
No one is criticising Yaradua just for setting goals. We are crticising him correctly for his inactions and deja vue styles which has always failed us. Someone that talks about 2020 and have spent a year and half doing nothing is only taking us for a ride. Someone who is busy filling up every government post with his cronies and ethnic group is certainly not deserving of my trust.Someone who is going at great length to punish Nuhu Ribadu (the brightest police officer the Nigerian police force has managed to produce in resent years)instead of elevating him for his great… [Read Full Text]
This Yaradua government is a non-starter. They have failed in even the targets they set for themselves. How can they not fail when a year and half into a four year tenure, they are yet to commence implementing any of their so called 7 point agenda. How on earth does this government want to achieve anything when all they do is procrastinate, procrastinate and procrastinate. Please someone should tell these amatures that if they dont start work now, even in that 2011 they cannot generate anything near that 10,000 MW of electricity. Does this realy mean that mother nature can… [Read Full Text]
The truth is that Yaradua never solicited to be president. He was not,is not and will never be ready for this gigantic office. The problem we have now is that created by Obasanjo who thought that he could play God by attempting to toy with the destiny of about 150 million citizens of this country.Obasanjo knew that Yaradua was not fit for the presidency but decided to punish the nation by forcing Yaradua down our throats when he could not realise his dream for a third term. Obasanjo Knows that Yaradua will not perform but wants to creat a situation… [Read Full Text]
TRUTH IS PERENNIAL AND WILL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL. Now is it not getting clear which administration is INCOMPETENT, OBASANJO'S OR YAR'ADUA'S. The country is, according to Yar'Adua, to waite till 2020 when a MAJIC WAND WILL SUDDENLY TRANSFORM THE COUNTRY INTO ONE OF THE 20 DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, irrespective of the reverse gear into which he has put the country by the reversals of the progress made during Obasanjo's administration. HOW UNFORTUNATE THE COUNTRY IS!
The government has been making promises upon promises over the years and nothing is happening.president yaradua need to prove to all nigerians that he is a man and not rubber stamp.Seeing is believing,we can no longer continue to live in procastinations and lies from politicians.This project will determine your continuity as president federal republic of nigeria come 2011.Enough is Enough.WE are watching you Yaradua.
d.ofod youe right nigerians abroad need to come backand not run away. but yua'dara or w/e his name is isnt doing much. Ill show you why. It is simply economics. he hasnt united Nigeria into a law-based country yet. Nigeria is still as divided poilitically as ever. also do not forget that nigeria is too dependant on oil as revenue you gotta resume manufacturuing, thsi is the only way to compete with other nations YOU MUST MAKE STUFF. Another thing you dont realize is that his power is based around his family and collegues not to mention his ethnic group… [Read Full Text]
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What else is new! If this is the best Nigeria can offer (the 1st college graduate President) then Nigeria is in serious trouble. We pleaded and cajoled to have the OBJ's adminstration to continue his reform policies with disciplne principle beyond his 2 terms but Nooo, the corrupt policians who meesed up the economy so badly and their minnions wanted "power" back as if they deserved it without showing their maturity to think outside the box and deliver on their promises. You all deserve what you get - mediocrity