I could remember vividly in 2015 in the three months of President Muhammadu Buhari in office how our power supply became stable.
It was like a magic as if the president had wielded a wand and the power galvanized itself. Because, it is strange in Nigeria to have a complete day uninterrupted power supply. Then many rumours spawned with different versions on how the president did the miracle in just three months without earmarking any spending to resuscitate the power sector. Eventhough, $16billion had been spent on the power but there was no achievable result.
One of the version of the story that I heard from politicians is, the president warned the power distributing companies to either make the power stable or cease their contracts. While, the other story said, the president’s comment during his swearing-in on Friday, 29 May 2015 that, of “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” was what did the rectification.
In that three months, Nigerians were very surprised on the whole change of our Power Regulation and the sudden change in the job of providing stable power in the whole of Nigeria.
I could also remember during that period, Nigerians were overwhelmed that a new Nigeria had been made and all problems had gone for better.
People at that time sold out their generating sets at very cheaper prices because they buyers were even doubtful of their market. They thought that generators will be history in Nigeria and there will be no buyer when the power is stabilized.
My friend advised me to dispose my own generator but I told him, I may need it for other purposes not that I was not optimistic of the changed Nigeria with a leader we heard much about can only solve Nigerians problems.
The power slowly deteriorated and became to its shabby supply. It is apparent that Nigerians now hardly enjoy three hours electricity in a day. While, in some cases days are spent without a blink of it.
Business are crippling day by day and companies are closing as they can’t afford to function on power generating sets. Small business workers are becoming poorer as they spend days without jobs and the effect is scorching negative aspect on the economy.
The president, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA,
Herbert Ajayi, lamented that 800 companies were shut down in 3 years due to the harsh operating business environment that include the epileptic power supply.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Power Distribution Companies are always in tango of accusing one another. The Marketers complain that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission sector is not providing them with the needed power generation while NERC is accusing that the marketers are to have the lion share of the blame for Nigerian black out by cutting the power supply for their profit.
Nigeria is currently an international distributor of electricity that sells power to the Republics of Togo, Niger
and Benin while its country is in haggling darkness.
Nigerians businesses have shrink due to the ailing power supply, while its light other countries and burns its progress. Though, there are some ongoing hydro power plants in Nigeria with the hope they will rescue Nigerians from the darkest adventure.
There are ongoing hydro power projects in Nigeria in speedy processing, the Mambilla, Taraba state will garnish 3,050 megawatts and the Zungeru, Niger hydro-power plant will yields 700 megawatts to compensate the existing megawatts.
Now, another mandate has been given to president Muhammadu Buhari and everything had changed about our power supply.
With the effort of the present government on power projects Nigerians are hoping for the end of power nightmare in a very shortage possible time and hope the president will again surprise Nigerians with stable power supply as he did since Nigerians now know that a body language can make Nigeria work effectively than anything.
The president after his second term victory has reinstated that the ‘Next Level’ will be very tough in the course of developing Nigeria and Nigerians hope that it will begins with the power sector for the benefit of Nigeria’s economy.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim from Kaduna