News
Solving Nigeria’s Electricity Issues
Electricity supply in Nigeria has always been on the low side ever since I became conscious as boy in my early years on earth.
The euphoric exclamation of “up NEPA” that used to rent the air, back then, any time electricity supply was restored after a long period of non-supply is what my little boy at home still shouts whenever electricity is restored, this time around, days after a long absence of electricity.
It is always of concern to me that in the over 100 years of the existence of Nigeria, 57 out of those years, as an independent state, we are still struggling to solve our electricity supply issues! The speaker of the House of Representatives recently lamented over our spending of over N2.74 trillion on electricity over the past years with no headway in solving our electricity problem. This is mind boggling , to say the least! Nigeria has been hovering between about 3,000 Megawatts and 4,600 Megawatts electricity generation for some time now and this often drops to below 2,000 Megawatts!
South Africa currently generates about 34,000 Megawatts and hopes to continue to improve on that going forward.
The long and short of this, is that Nigeria, with close to 200 million in population, has always fell far short of electricity supply to its populace and this carries a lot of negative consequences.
Some of the consequences of inadequate supply of electricity to the Nigerian population is the high cost of manufactured goods in the country due to the high volume and cost of diesel required to run the generators that power the machines in the production processes in the absence of electricity supply from the national grid.
There are even some machines that takes a whole day to heat up once power supply to them is disrupted, so, they rely solely on generators to power those machines due to the unreliable supply of electricity from the national grid.
We have heard, in some cases, of the relocation of manufacturing industries from Nigeria to neighboring countries such as Ghana where electricity seems to be more stable.
Many jobs that are electricity-related that would have been created and taken up by the teaming unemployed in the country cannot also be created because of lack of electricity.
Technology and its variants of innovations, of which electricity is a major one, has come to make our daily living much easier.
There is no doubt that the high unemployment rate we are presently facing in Nigeria can be drastically reduced with relatively stable supply of electricity.
Welding workshops, Barbing saloons, Hair dressing saloons, Internet Café, Fashion designers, Cold room operators, etc., will all thrive if they have access to stable electricity to run their businesses seamlessly. Importantly too, manufacturing will once again boom in Nigeria as factories will be able to run their machines at cheaper electricity rates compared to the exorbitant cost of running them presently on diesel generators. This means that there will be a reduction in the cost of production.
A reduction in the cost of production will also drive the prices of produced goods down, thus, making them affordable to the average Nigerian.
Further benefits of fixing the electricity issues in Nigeria is that our products will be able to compete for export, especially in our immediate African market due to low cost of production. This can, indeed, be the beginning of Nigeria earning serious foreign exchange from exports. Exports earnings can improve the strength of the Naira against stronger currencies like the Dollar and save us from the present foreign exchange imbroglio we find ourselves. Nigerians can then start to breathe a sigh of relieve.
The Disco’s increased electricity tariff sometime last year, not because there was any marked improvement in the supply of electricity to the populace, and with the support of NERC and the Ministry of Power.
About a year down the line, supply of electricity is still abysmally low, although the Minister of Power recently said we should expect a lot of improvement in power supply very soon. Interestingly, Meters have not been supplied to the majority of users, whether prepaid or otherwise, to record the actual cost of their electricity consumption, yet, estimated monthly bills, (sometimes, crazy bills), are sent to them.
The bills are sent whether the users had electricity supply during the month in question or not!
This area should be seriously looked into and checkmated for fair play, equity and justice to prevail in the sector.
One of the reasons adduced for the increase in tariff is that the Disco’s need to gather more funds to invest in new equipment so that there will be an improvement in the supply of electricity in the country.
The question is; have they bought those equipment and put thrm to use? I doubt this becsuse we are yet to see any improvement after one year of the increase in tariff. The truth is that no nation can be truly economically viable if its electricity sector is in the kind of crisis that ours is in Nigeria.
The issue of alternative sources of electricity should also be continued until everywhere is lighted up in Nigeria as I see that the government is already supplying solar electricity to some communities.
Technology has provided these other options and we should take advantage of them instead of relyi g only on hydro and thermal.
Earlier this month, the National Assembly organised a two-day stakeholders interactive dialogue on the power sector in Nigeria.
We can, therefore, expect to see positive changes very soon in the direction of improving the supply of electricity in Nigeria from the tesult of the deliberations.
Most importantly, prepaid meters should be provided to everyone connected to the Discos so that only electricity consumed will be paid for by the users. This will engender equity and fair play in the sector.
CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television
Telecommunications services provider, Globacom, has admonished Nigerian workers to reflect on more ways of contributing further to the growth of the country.
In a solidarity message on the occasion of the 2024 International Workers’ Day, the company noted that Nigerian workers were resilient in spite of the challenges they encounter in the course of discharging their duties.
The telecommunications giant further noted that the story of Nigeria cannot be adequately chronicled without acknowledging the immense contributions of workers, both in the public and private sectors.
The day is observed on May 1 yearly in recognition of the contributions of workers all over the world and to advance fairer and more sustainable future by advocating for workers’ rights.
“We salute Nigerian workers on this day and commend them for the hard work, commitment, resourcefulness and industry which are essential for the growth of the economy of any nation,” Globacom said.
CWG Plc has announced a significant milestone in its commitment to delivering value to shareholders. Following a thorough review of the company’s financial performance and outlook, the Board of Directors has approved a substantial increase of 400per cent in dividend payout to shareholders.
This decision reflects CWG’s confidence in its financial stability, growth trajectory, and ability to generate sustainable returns. By enhancing the dividend payout, CWG aims to reward shareholders for their continued trust and support while reaffirming its commitment to creating long-term value.
Mr. Philip Obioha, Chairman of the Board of Directors at CWG Plc, said, “The decision to approve a 400% increase in dividend payout underscores our confidence in CWG’s performance and outlook. We are dedicated to delivering value to our shareholders and believe that this significant dividend increase is a testament to our commitment to shareholder value creation.”
This increase in dividend payout aligns with CWG’s strategic objectives to prioritize shareholder interests and maintain strong financial discipline. The Board remains committed to prudent financial management and sustainable growth, ensuring that CWG continues to be a reliable investment for shareholders.
As CWG continues to execute its growth strategy and expand its presence in the market, the Board anticipates that the increased dividend payout will further strengthen investor confidence and support CWG’s vision for the future.
CommunicationsWeek Media Limited, a certified global ICT company with over two million online subscribers, is delighted and proud to announce Prof. Yakub Aliyu, as the keynote speaker at Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture series 2024.
Aliyu, will be speaking on the theme: Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”, this leans heavily on the fact that AI changing our lives– we just need to know where to look today.
This year’s rebranded Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series is slated for Saturday, May 25, 2024 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
The event is the most prestigious annual event that brings together captains of industry in both technology and financial worlds.
According to Ken Nwogbo, CEO, Communication Week Media Ltd, organisers of the ABoICT Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series, “the choice of Prof. Yakub Aliyu is deliberate because of his exceptional career in Artificial Intelligence (AI)”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth,” he said.
A professor of microelectronics and a scholar-practitioner in artificial intelligence and deep machine learning for industrial applications and high-speed application processors. His research interests include Multimodal AI models for high-efficiency industrial robot applications and Human AI interactions.
He also has adjunct academic professorships at five African, USA, and UK universities. Holds a BS in Applied Physics Electronics from Karlsruhe and A Bello Universities in Germany and Nigeria, an MBA in International Business Management from the University of London, an MSEE (Master of Engineering, Electronics), and a Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering from the University of Wales.
Prof. Aliyu is the global quality director for Bourns Inc., Riverside, California, USA, an electronics system, and components manufacturer. I oversee quality functions in 21 factories worldwide.
He has also held quality and operational management leadership positions at National Semiconductors, Bell Labs-Lucent Technology, Texas Instrument, Global Foundries, and Roper Technologies USA.
Authored and coauthored over 30 Advanced Technology United States-issued patents in High-Speed Application Processors and Contributed to over 40 international impact Journals, chapters, and conferences; FASI, SMIEEE USA, MIEE UK, M. Inst pf Physics Chartered Phys and C Eng UK.
Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa, former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Dr. Jean Luc Fort, CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk; and Professor Chris Nwagboso, Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom.
Others are: Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; Dr. Seyi Akindeind, co-founder, Digital Encode; Dr Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Director, Africa Data Centres.
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