By; AUWAL AHMED IBRAHIM (GORONYO)
Nigeria’s economy is sinking and shrinking while poverty is getting bigger because of many reasons of corruption and epileptic power supply. At the moment, power stands around 3,650 megawatts (mw), despite the huge sum of money the sector has gulped, but there is nothing beautiful to write about Nigerian power condition.
The national grid collapsed 98 times from 2015 to October, 2022 amid N1.52tn bailout. Moreso, the national grid failed for more than 230 times from 2010 to the first half of 2022. This means that the promises of the past and the present governments to resuscitate and stabilize the sector have failed, though, the government blames the situation on corruption and sabotage but the power distributors put the lion blame of the instability of the electricity on nonpayment or noncompliance to their directives. But, no matter what, there are customers that toe the line and what about their rights?
One can wonder how can companies in Nigeria survive to pay their staff, settle their revenues and make profit? One can feel sorry for media organizations, companies and other small business owners because findings have shown that a radio station in Kaduna State buys N200,000 diesel on daily basis. Then, how can that station pay the salary of its staff at the right time? This simple question can explain the trauma of epileptic power supply in Nigeria.
A newspaper reported in 2021 that Nigeria lost more than $29 billion yearly because of the poor supply of power. Another report revealed that from 2015 to 2019, more than 350 businesses collapsed in Nigeria and this is the main reason Nigeria loses foreign investors to other counterparts because a recent report said Nigeria loses N96.4 trillion annually due to the poor electricity supply in the country.
Like other political candidates, the incoming president of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in January during a campaign activity in Ondo State, promised to restore the power supply in Nigeria and if achieved, it will set the ball rolling for development because what Nigeria needs to excell is stable power supply. Electricity is life wire of all businesses and no business can thrive without it. With sufficient electricity, many problems of this country will fade away, while it will make the country a giant nation because a powerful country is oiled with power.
By estimate, in March 2022, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), said that there are almost 90 million unemployed youth in the country. Prof. Bugaje reiterated that no matter the efforts of governments in empowering Nigerians, without sufficient power supply the youth will become redundant because welders, mechanics, tailors, plumbers and retailers, all need power to satisfy their clients and customers.
Indeed, efficient power will also empower women in their homes with micro businesses. This concept is the most important vision of the incoming government. Meanwhile, Bugaje complained over the cost of power in Nigeria, stressing that the cost affects “the made in Nigeria products” and even education. To promote made in Nigeria products and invite investors into Nigeria, Bugaje advised that Nigeria should subsidize the power bills and adopt methods to block leakages of corruption.
Standard power is needed not only for businesses alone, but for comfort and good life at homes and for technological purposes in this 21 Century, but at this time in Nigeria, power is almost kicking the bucket.
In 24 hours, it is calculated that Band B community gets less than an hour light, with this ration, what benefit can customers derive from their monthly payment? This simply means that Nigerians are paying for darkness because many don’t have prepaid meters to save them from exuberant charges of the power distribution companies. Companies and private sectors pay more than the power they consume because only few companies and institutions have prepaid meters. Can this be another form of corruption in disguise?
The power sector of Nigeria is characterized with corruption; SERAP echoed that $16 billion was sink into the power sector from 1999 to 2017 without tangible progress to show. CIPE in 2020 reported that Nigeria lose billions of Naira due to corruption in the power sector. With ravaging corruption among the power staff and the power distribution companies, power companies in Nigeria lose billions of Naira to their staff for none remittance of money collected from customers.
To hit the nail on its head, customers of electricity in Nigeria have a blame to share because many don’t pay their bills, they think that power belongs to the government and by the common thinking of a common Nigerian citizen everything that belongs to government is free. The power companies moan that only few customers pay their bills judiciously in due time and some customers fight staff instead to pay for what they consumed. It has become a tradition of some people to steal power through the backdoors. These sabotages and many by customers may be the fundamental reasons why we have epileptic power supply in Nigeria because power companies at times are unable to settle their staff salary. But, no matter what, there are customers with prepaid meters and some don’t have outstanding bills and their rights should not be subjugated because the power company have laws to punish every offender within its armpit of law and the customers are back by laws to be served well.
As the coming government promised to provide a constant and stable power supply, Nigerians pray that the President-elect promise on power should be the last that will establish a stable power, and Nigerians await to see a good change in the power sector because no amount of brainstorming or promises can stabilize the power sector if corruption is not defeated among the customers and the power brokers.
An investigation shown that president Jonathan and Buhari spent N1.164 trillion on power in 8 years”, and SERAP investigation shown that N11 trillion Naira lost between 2015 to 2019 meant to fund Nigerian power sector” while Nasir Elrufai, the governor of Kaduna state stated that “the Federal Government spent N1.7 trillion on power” without progressive achievement on the supply of the power.
As a new government is coming to turn the leaves and make good changes for the country, power is essential commodity and needs much concern to proffer solutions to unemployment, Nigeria’s shrinking economy and Nigerians hoped for a better change in almost everything but most importantly the power sector because it is the mother of all development.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim (Goronyo) is a lecturer of Mass Communication, Kaduna Polytechnic and wrote from Kaduna, can be reached on auwalahmed@kadunapolytechnic.edu.ng
