By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), addressed industry players both regional and international delegates from around the world who visited Nigeria for the Annual Powering Africa: Nigeria Summit 2017 in Abuja.
The minister said, the Nigerian power sector is something very important as it has attracted foreign investors to come explore and invest in the sector. The ministry is seriously engaging with industry players through various forums with the aim of providing consistent power generation and energy efficiency in Nigeria.
He adds: “This conference has contributed again to our quest for incremental power because no energy will be too small in contributing to Nigeria’s energy mix as solar home system, hydro damns and every unit of energy we can get has a role to play towards our journey of incremental power in Nigeria”
He said the power sector recovery program was launched to fill the gaps that the privatization process omitted and also enables the power sector pass through a government monopoly to private sector operated power sector.
The minister used the medium to commend the Nigerian legislators for a job well done as they have delivered a profound piece of legislation comparable to any in the world. He said it is from the legislation that minigrids are flowing which also decentralize and democratize access to power which in accordance to the law, the amendments in the constitution were made to free up the space from the Federal Government monopoly of generations, transmission and distribution.
“The state government and the state house of assembly were now allowed to set up their own power plants and to make legislation that will regulate transmission, generation and distribution of power. With these reforms, we can now reach Gigawa, Borno, Plateau State for
incremental power,” the minister said.
He further explained that the regulations that was made for minigrids is helping everyone to do more better in the power sector. He adds: “All you need to do, open your eyes when you drive, don’t take off your eyes off the road”
During his speech, the minister said the footprint of solar energy is increasing day-by-day in Nigeria as the country records more solar panels in the market. The ministry of power is working alongside with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), taking responsibility to compile the data on energy consumption and the variable number of solar home systems, minigrids, offgrid installations with the objective to get the accurate measure of how much energy is consumed in Nigeria.
In his closing remarks, he said: “I have heard things said about this country that it cannot succeed, i disagree. I am pleased to share with you a resolution that a few Nigerians made at an international conference, saying, we will not speak bad about our country anymore.
“We will not hide problems, rather, we will recognize them but we will approach those problems with a very strong and positive mindset that their stepping stones will be a solution,” the minister said.