British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery said Nigeria has the world’s largest electricity deficit that affects 90 million of the population.

Montgomery who was represented by Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson, revealed this at the first session of a two-day roundtable on the Electricity Act 2023 themed “Implications and Opportunities for State Electricity Markets”, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The roundtable is funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructural Advisory Facility.

According to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria ” We have a new government here, it has embarked on important microeconomic reforms. The exchange rates and fuel subsidy are bringing short-term pain to the country and the people. But there are positive changes in the medium and long term that will help Nigeria fulfill its potential for the future.

“Part of this particularly important moment is Nigeria’s power sector. Unfortunately, the country has the world’s largest electricity deficit. This affects 90 million people. Even those Nigerians who are connected to the grid, face frequent outages and hence don’t get a reliable supply, he added.

Montgomery who described the Electricity Act as an important component of the current reforms noted that the most important feature of the Act is the provision to allow states to pass laws to govern the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria charged Nigeria Governors Forum and stakeholders to look at what has worked, and what has failed in other sub-national systems across the world to explore the potential of regional aggregation.

He declared, “This is the time to explore new opportunities to scale up electricity to deliver it to more Nigerians.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the forum believes in partnership and getting divergent views to boost electricity supply.

AbdulRazaq who reiterated the need to explore new opportunities to boost supply, noted that ” With the Act, more questions will be thrown up than answers, but this engagement will bring answers. We’re moving into a new area, and which challenges will be enormous.

The Kwara State governor who hinted that the Evolutionary Act comes with risks and threats that must be understood, assured that the Forum’s support program will facilitate the development of sustainable, competitive, and diversified sub-national electricity markets.

Forum, Asishana Okauru said the reform effort in the power sector was further enhanced by the recent enactment of the Electricity Act, 2023 by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He explained that “The Electricity Act 2023 represents a significant milestone towards achieving a stable, reliable, and efficient electricity supply for our people. It provides a legal framework for private sector participation in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

According to him, the NGF will unveil a flagship project that will caption the Nigeria Sub-National Electricity Markets Support Program (NSEMSP)

He added that the project will be designed to facilitate the development of sustainable, competitive, and diversified
sub-national electricity markets in the country.

Okauru stated “We are going to give a lot of technical support to the states. This includes collaborating with development partners that are very experienced in this area to help take this initiative to the local level.”

One of the keynote speakers, Eyo Ekpo explained that national or state-level development is connected to electricity availability.

Ekpo who delivered a paper titled “Opportunities, Imperatives and Key Success Factors for State Electricity Market Design” declared that electricity must be delivered in such a manner that is reliable, and consistent in quality and quantity.

The keynote speaker who stressed the need for political will to transform power reform into reality added “We’ve got to understand that at the state level, if governors will not take up the mantle of having to drive this new thing within their states, it will not happen.”

He charged the State governors to provide an enabling environment for investors to invest in the sector.

Another keynote speaker, Simeon Atakulu who delivered a paper titled “What do donors want to see” said not all states’ electricity markets will be ready in the short-medium term without a transition framework by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

CodeTemplar:
Dangote will soon generate more power for his industries than our grid can take at once.

mrvitalis:
The problem has never been electricity the problem has been poverty

If Nigerians are rich enough we would have 24 hours electricity

In fact 90% of Nigerians that can afford 24 hrs electricity enjoy near 24 hours electricity in Nigeria its that simple nonsense talk,but Benin republic can afford right?for ur information I hv friends 4rm Benin,dey don't pay as most of us do nd dey hv 24hrs light.if dey want to service Dere transformer,dey announce it on radio..


Nigerians are too poor

Wealth creation through SMEs like Peter Obi suggested is the key thing

mrvitalis:
The problem has never been electricity the problem has been poverty

If Nigerians are rich enough we would have 24 hours electricity

In fact 90% of Nigerians that can afford 24 hrs electricity enjoy near 24 hours electricity in Nigeria its that simple


Nigerians are too poor

Wealth creation through SMEs like Peter Obi suggested is the key thing

mrvitalis:
The problem has never been electricity the problem has been poverty

If Nigerians are rich enough we would have 24 hours electricity

In fact 90% of Nigerians that can afford 24 hrs electricity enjoy near 24 hours electricity in Nigeria its that simple


Nigerians are too poor

Wealth creation through SMEs like Peter Obi suggested is the key thing

Horus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGC4-ar-YvU?si=2FPF55jcgExU6JWz

Nigeria urged to look at renewable energy to curb the power Shortage

There is an untapped potential for electricity generation in the renewable and embedded generation business in Nigeria.
Its growth has been limited due to concerns over the ability of companies to distribute and pay for electricity.

ElSudani:


The least electrified countries are often the poorest, any reason why?

mrvitalis:

Electricity doesn't bring prosperity prosperity brings electricity


Nigerians think upside down reall 95% of Nigerians can't afford 24 hours electricity per day... That's 5% are clustered on place that already have 24 hours power

iwaeda:

Light brings progress sir. The more electricity, the more industrialised a country will be. Imagine people can work 24 hours in Lagos, Kano, PH, Ibadan, Ilorin.

mrvitalis:

Electricity doesn't bring prosperity prosperity brings electricity


Nigerians think upside down reall 95% of Nigerians can't afford 24 hours electricity per day... That's 5% are clustered on place that already have 24 hours power

mrvitalis:

Lol it's the other way round

We have towns in Nigeria with 24 hours electricity... What are the difference with omoku and Bonny ? Why are factories not moving to them? Lmaooo

ElSudani:


Is that why the industrial revolution did not start until electricity became widely available?
Don't be a voodoo economist. Give Nigerians 24 hrs electricity and unemployment will reduce more than 50%
There are so many businesses you can do in Nigeria today that are not very feasible because of unreliable supply of electricity. Think.

iwaeda:

Which town is 24 hours in Nigeria, except Bonny. Go and see what is happening there.

mrvitalis:

Omoku has 24 hours light
Nepa estate sapele has 24 hours light

What exactly is happening in Bonny outside NLNG

Bonny has 24 hours light because NLNG needed and can afford NLNG...

NLNG didn't come to Bonny because it has 24
hours light


You create demand than supply follows ... As long as there is demand people would supply

You don't supply without demand that's not how business works

iwaeda:

Can you compare industrial revolution of 1790s to mid 1800 to 1900 till now with advent of electricity?

mrvitalis:

Omoku has 24 hours light
Nepa estate sapele has 24 hours light

What exactly is happening in Bonny outside NLNG

Bonny has 24 hours light because NLNG needed and can afford NLNG...

NLNG didn't come to Bonny because it has 24
hours light


You create demand than supply follows ... As long as there is demand people would supply

You don't supply without demand that's not how business works

mrvitalis:


I don't know where you got your history boss

Industrial revolution happened in the late 1700s while commercial distribution of electricity started in the late 1800s

It was actually the industrial revolution that develop people made them right to be able to afford electricity and making it economically variable to distribute electricity profitably

Africans are always getting development wrong

ElSudani:


You are getting confused, electricity Kickstarted the second industrial revolution which had a major impact on mass production and wealth creation.
This is where it is relevant to Nigeria and poverty eradication. We have seen it recently in Korea, China and some other countries. You can't do it without electricity, period.

ElSudani:


You are getting confused, electricity Kickstarted the second industrial revolution which had a major impact on mass production and wealth creation.
This is where it is relevant to Nigeria and poverty eradication. We have seen it recently in Korea, China and some other countries. You can't do it without electricity, period.

iwaeda:

He must have eating too much corn.

Yujin:
Electricity is the greatest invention of all time. Without it, any human advancement and civilization can never get to the present modernity that have been achieved.
Therefore, electricity first before industrialization.

mrvitalis:


Yes but electricity inventions and Comericial electricity are two different things they are not the same thing

Nigerians sha

We don't lack electricity in Nigeria what we lack is Comericial electricity

mrvitalis:


Yes but electricity inventions and Comericial electricity are two different things they are not the same thing

Nigerians sha

We don't lack electricity in Nigeria what we lack is Comericial electricity

mrvitalis:

I am an obedient oga I have presented publications you guys can't even present one

Yujin:

No one needs to invent what has already been invented. Steady supply of Electricity is what we are talking about in this generation. It must come first before any country can dream of achieving industrialization in this era because every machinery runs on electricity. When it is cheaper and steady, it encourages more productivity, storage and transportation which leads to more exportation and greater profits. It equally makes the products to be cheaper.
I know you understand this but don't want to accept your earlier position was wrong.

Once the economy grows and the population benefit from this growth to rise up in their individual wealth status, they can be taxed more and electricity rates increased. You can't do these two to a poor population. It will lead you no where.
Every government owe the citizens a steady supply of electricity just like they owe them good roads and pipeborne water supply. This is just common sense.

ElSudani:


You are splitting hairs. The fact remains that there's no serious industrialization without electricity.