The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the ongoing electricity crisis in the nation’s capital.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, Festus Adebayo, the Executive Director of HDAN, expressed concern over the adverse effects of the electricity shortage on Nigerians, who are already grappling with various economic challenges. Adebayo highlighted the detrimental impact on businesses across the country due to the prevailing situation.
He urged the FCT Minister, who he says has been delivering on the renewed hope mandate of President Bola Tinubu for Abuja, to engage in dialogue with key stakeholders in the power industry to identify the underlying issues and propose immediate solutions to alleviate the plight of FCT residents.
Adebayo warned that the current situation could exacerbate the economic challenges facing the nation and urged the administration led by Bola Tinubu to fulfill its promise of restoring stability in the power sector.
Recently, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) attributed the erratic power supply in Abuja to inadequate power allocation. Additionally, suspected vandals damaged a power transmission tower, resulting in a drastic reduction in electricity supply to just two hours a day. This attack led to a 250-megawatt drop in power supply to Abuja.
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It is pertinent to say that despite the unbundling of PHCN’s assets in 2012 and subsequent privatization, the federal government maintains significant control over power assets in the country. The Transmission Company of Nigeria, along with its grid and control centers, remains under federal government control. Additionally, the government owns the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), which oversees several thermal power plants. However, only one of these plants is operational and connected to the grid, leaving approximately 7,500MW of installed generation capacity stranded for nearly a decade due to issues such as gas supply shortages or grid connectivity problems.
Given these challenges, HDAN stresses the urgency for the federal government to take decisive action to prevent further hardship for Nigerians.
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Meanwhile, Adebayo also called on the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, to take proactive measures to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the power sector.