By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Federal Government, on Friday, said that about 92 million Nigerians lack access to electricity from the national grid.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, made the disclosure at the closing ceremony of the 7th Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja.
Experts and industry players energy, described the poor generation and supplies between 3,000 and 4,000 megawatts of grid electricity to over 200 million citizens across the country, as not acceptable.
The Minister explained that though adequate access to energy by citizens had been a challenge globally, about 40 per cent of people in Nigeria were currently affected.
He noted that access to electricity is undeniably a fundamental requirement for socio-economic development, saying that it is a pleasure to see so many dedicated individuals and experts gathered in the hall to discuss strategies and solutions for bridging energy access gas.
In recent years, he explained that significant progress has been made globally in improving access to electricity, stressing that a substantial portion of the world population still face challenges in obtaining reliable and affordable electricity.
He added, “Here in Nigeria it is estimated that a whopping 92 million people are still suffering from energy poverty, which is over 40 per cent of our estimated population.”
He called for cooperation by stakeholders to tackle the challenge, as the government alone would not be able to handle the situation, adding that it is the collective responsibility to address this issue, as it has far reaching implications for poverty alleviation, healthcare, education and overall improvement in the quality of lives including the reduction of youth unemployment in the society.
According to him, electricity from the national grid may not get to every remote area, saying that such locations could be served with power from renewable energy sources.
He urged stakeholders to work together to bridge the energy access gap by ensuring that electricity becomes a reality for all irrespective of our geographical location or socio-economic status.
He appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the Federal Government, stressing that they (Nigerians) must give them time to address these issues, so that they can achieve an enduring and sustainable energy.
