Nigeria to boost power generation

Nigeria has said it would increase power generation by 2,000 megawatts from the current 7,000 mw to 9,000 megawatts by the end of 2018.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in Abuja that  the government will also embark on 90 power transmission projects nationwide in furtherance of raising the country’s power generation capacity.
“By the end of this year, we are going to have an extra 2,000 megawatts of power to add to the 7,000 that is being generated.
“So we can say that when we came in 2015, two arms of power had been privatised – generation and distribution – living only transmission.
“Power generated by all the 13 or so Generating Companies was 4,000 megawatts; power distributed by all the DisCos (Distribution Companies) was 2,690; the transmission rate capacity was 5,000 megawatts.
“Three and a half years later, that is today, we generate 7,000 megawatts, (up) from 4,000 megawatts, which means on the average, we will be adding 1,000 megawatts every year.
“This didn’t come by accident; it came because we were determined to ensure that we improve power generation, which made it possible for our transmission to go from 4,000 to 7,000 megawatts.’’
Mohammed said that the government also embarked on what it calls a Transmission Expansion and Rehabilitation Programme, which made it possible for the (rate of) transmission to go from 4,000 to 7,000.
“So we can say that when it comes to power no government has done what we have done in three and half years,’’ he said.