Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua has said he will declare a state of emergency in the country's epileptic power sector next month, fulfilling a key campaign promise aimed at solving the nation's perennial power problem.

"When the emergency is declared, any national resource, belonging to anybody, required to meet the target of production will be used and any previous agreement that may hinder its implementation will be set aside," the President said in an in terview with the leading local Guardian newspaper, highlights of which were published on Monday.

"I am taking this step to assure Nigerians. I would not contemplate taking this drastic measure: power emergency, if not to assure our people that we will meet the target. So, I am aware that these measures are drastic but I am taking them in the interest of the nation to override every other personal interest," he said.

During his electioneering campaign in 2007, Yar'Adua of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had pledged to declared a state of emergency if he won the presidential election. But almost two years on, the President has yet to fulfil his campaign pledge.

The immediate target of the power emergency is to raise the country's power generation from less than 3,000 Mega Watts currently to 6,000MW by the end of this year.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, needs at least 10,000mw to get some level of stability in its power sector.

after 2 years in office . . . . . . so much for emergency

lets see if our energy problem will solves itself after the declaration

I think the President is just looking for fake results in the run-up to 2011

The administration will be judged on whether people are recieving steady electricity supply not the number of Government white paper on Energy or number of media declaration.