A nation that sells darkness

It is easy to forget the important things, or even get tired and say after all, it is a norm now. We have all talked about it, the creepy news story that electricity tariff will be increased, among other sector flaws.

The move by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to fully implement the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) designed in 2015 and the Minimum Remittance Order for the Year 2019 has raised new arguments on the structure of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

NERC has the mandate to implement the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005, especially Section 32 which allows it to ensure prices charged by licensees (distribution companies) are fair to customers and sufficient to allow the licensees finance their activities and make reasonable profit for efficient operations.

Some stakeholders, however, insisted that the recent review of electricity tariffs by the commission amounts to exploitation of consumers, given the shoddy performance of the power sector. Besides, lapses in the operations of Meter Asset Providers (MAPs) are still generating criticism.

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A sector which is supposed to be in a state of emergency has hardly shown any sign of crawling, not to mention walking and working. Despite the billions, no one has been held accountable. Will anybody be held accountable even in the face of renewed efforts about probing the billions that was sunk into the sector? This is a nation that uses phrases and clichés, especially our politicians, and they do so often without any understanding of the real issues.

Nigeria has a population unofficially hitting almost 200 million, but our energy story, to say the least, is embarrassing. We are endowed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resource, and it already has the potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of electric power from existing plants, but most days it is only able to generate around 4,000 MW, which is insufficient, and in many seasons we generate a frightening figure of less than 3000MW.

To the ordinary Nigerian, give us power and maybe the above technicalities would make sense as they continue to suffer the brunt of inefficiency through frequent tariff increase. It is no longer news that during the rains, the dams have too much water and during the dry season, it is a case of no water, or when the weather is stable across the country, it is a case of no gas.

The regulatory body for electricity, the National Electricity Regulation Commission NERC, talks of deregulation, and one wonders when. We have tried pre-paid, post- paid, consuming less pay more, and all manners of payment system for a utility that is simply not there.

The nation ranks top as favorite destination for manufacturers of power generating sets, while top power utility officials are directors in the companies. Nigeria remains in 2019 a nation without light. Painfully, we have the resources, the manpower we have it all, and sadly and almost in unimaginable contradiction I say we do not have it. We do not have the commitment, the political will, the sincerity. And as long as this stays, in local comedy, there will be no light at the end of the tunnel, as Nigerians continue to pay for darkness.

Prince Charles Dickson PhD

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