Our electricity policy is clearly not working so it is time to change track and outsource the function to our local governments

By Ayo Akinfe

[1] We keep debating this issue of inadequate electricity supply in Nigeria but always come up short. It is not actually rocket science as our problems can be broken down into two. In the first place, we need about 50,000MW but only generate 7,000MW and to make matters worse, we can only distribute 4,000MW of this. All we have to do is address both issues

[2] Simply put, we have the problems of inadequate generation and poor distribution. For me, the solution is to delegate power generation and distribution to our 774 local government areas. If each local government area generated just 50MW and distributed it within its domain, we would have 24 hour electricity supply in Nigeria

[3] Do you know that in India, mini grids that generate a minimum of 15MW are now the popular fad? As an economy, India is relying less and less on its national grid and Nigeria simply needs to follow suit

[4] Across India today, the total amount of off-grid solar power generated is 26,000MW. Our main problem in Nigeria appears to be the national grid. If you generate 5,000MW locally within a state, you cannot use it for your own purposes. It goes to the national grid and is not even distributed properly nationwide because the regional distribution companies are not effective

[5] Many of Nigeria’s distribution companies (Discos) cannot even afford transformers. They are heavily indebted to the banks as their owners borrowed money to buy them, so the thought of investing in new equipment is just wishful thinking. It is no surprise that they are thus struggling and we have constant blackouts

[6] Lagos currently consumes about half of Nigeria's distributed electricity, so the idea of it being on some sort of national grid is just ludicrous. Lagos State needs it own grid that is totally independent from whatever happens elsewhere in Nigeria

[7] If each of Nigeria's 774 local government areas generated just 50MW each, we would have 38,700MW. Add that to the current 7,000MW we generate centrally and power cuts will be a thing of the past in Nigeria

[8] If Nigeria’s local government areas are allowed to distribute their own power locally, they will know when to expand generation as demand grows. In somewhere like Lagos for instance, nothing stops the state government having a mega gas-fired power stating that generates say 20,000MW and distributing it as is deemed fit

[9] If we have five massive power generating plants as Kanji, Lokoja, Idah, Lagos and maybe another gas-fired one at Bonny, these will augment what the local governments generate. I do not agree with building a power plant at Mambilla, so will not add it. That Mambilla Plateau is arguably the most fertile piece of land in Nigeria and should be used for agriculture. Surveys have shown that the ideal is perfect for coffee production and if our to use, could turn Nigeria into a major producer like Kenya or Ethiopia

[10] Nothing stops Nigeria’s states or geo-political zones from having their own generating plants and grids to augment what the local governments are providing. However, we need a bottom up approach and not the other way round.