FEC Approves Plan To Deliver 2000 Megawatts Of Electricity To Nigerians

Minister of Power,Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (File Photo)

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), has approved a Ministry of Power,Works and Housing Memo targeted at providing a framework of investment in expanding the national distribution network,to deliver an extra 2000 megawatts of electricity to Nigerians.

Briefing State House correspondents after today’s FEC meeting, minister of power,works and housing, Babatunde Fashola; flanked by the minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika; and minister of the federal ministry of water resources, Suleiman Adamu Kazaure, said  “Nigeria today has 2000 megawatts of electricity that cannot reach consumers because of lack of distribution capacity.”

“Also presently, Nigeria can generate 7,000 megawatts of electricity. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), following extensive grid expansion in the last two years, also now has the capacity to wheel the 7,000 megawatts. But bottlenecks exist at the distribution (Disco) level, with only 5,000 megawatts of distribution capacity. Hence the need for expansion.”

“The framework for investment to improve distribution capacity will involve competitive International Tendering and Procurement. The Federal Government will contribute 40% of the needed investment (based on its 40% Disco ownership), while the Discos will contribute 60%.”

“Meanwhile, expansion in generation and transmission capacity are continuing.”

Fashola also disclosed there is 1,600 megawatts of new generation capacity scheduled for delivery in 2018.