NIGERIA ELECTRICITY MINISTER SAY COMMUNITIES WILL STOP CONTRIBUTING FUNDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has warned that communities will no longer be required to contribute money to buy transformers, electricity poles, or power lines by themselves, stating that it is the responsibility of the power distribution companies (DISCOs) to provide all needed infrastructure for power distribution and the maintenance.

Adelabu also said he did not promise Nigerians magic in the power sector, but assured that the government is working hard to improve the country’s power supply.

He stated these in Ibadan, yesterday, while he paid a working visit to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde in his office as part of the minister’s inspection of power installation across the state.

While unfolding the purpose of his visit to the state, Chief Adelabu said he was on an assessment tour of electricity facilities and to further discuss areas of partnership and collaboration with the state government on how to improve power supply that will boost economic activities and living conditions of the residents.

Adelabu who equally frowned at the act of estimated billings from the electricity distribution companies to the consumers said that improvement of power supply would be a gradual process, adding that he would never promise an immediate 24-hour power supply across the nation.

He said: “We are going to put a stop to communities contributing money to buy transformers, communities contributing money to buy electricity poles or power lines.”

“It is the primary responsibility of the DISCOs to provide all these because they deal directly with this.”

“But we are promising as the federal government, we are going to support the DISCOs by intervening in these areas of distribution infrastructures.”

“We will transformers, especially to areas like low-income areas, where the DISCOs are not attracted to invest and out rural dwellers.”

“We are also going to adopt a lot of our activities on rural electrification to make minimum electricity to our rural areas,” the minister said.

On the expectations of Nigerians to provide 24-hour uninterrupted electricity, Adelabu said: “Nobody has the magic wand to promise 24/7 electricity overnight.”

“What I am promising as my mandate to Nigerians is gradual, accelerated, steady, and sustainable improvement in power provision in Nigeria and it will be consistent.”

“My mission is to ensure that our today in the lower sector is better than our yesterday and our tomorrow must be better than our today.”

“If we are consistent in achieving this, within a short while, we will see a considerable, considerate, and noticeable improvement in the power sector in Nigeria, Adelabu said.

In his remarks, Governor Seyi Makinde, who congratulated, Adelabu on his appointment, declared that the state government would take full advantage of the newly signed 2023 Electricity Regulation Law, saying that his administration would sign the state version of the law as soon as the state’s House of Assembly passes the the bill into law.

Governor Makinde who expressed his government’s desire to work together with the minister and his ministry, also hinted that the 10-megawatt Independent Power Project his administration embarked upon in his first term would be commissioned in weeks.

SOURCE: Vanguard