OpeOluwani Akintayo
17 July 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has accused the electricity distribution companies, Discos, of failing to supply meters to electricity consumers after the government had made available N37 billion to the Meter Asset Providers, MAPs, for that purpose.
According to him, the federal government had made available the funds to Discos under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC’s MAPs, to “help” supply meters, but the utility firms “are yet to do so”.
Fashola, who revealed that other another inputs by the government to aid the Discos included settling an inherited court case, maintained that in making available N37 billion to MAPs, under the regulations made by NERC to license meter investors, “to help supply meters that the Discos are under contract to supply,” they are still unable to do so.
He said the government undertook the gesture in order to bridge the metering gap and to promote harmonious relationship between Discos and customers and to reduce friction between the Discos and their MAPs.
Besides, the minister stated, the federal government has provided N76 billion for the procurement of equipment and installation to help the electricity distribution companies to evacuate 2,000 megawatts stranded power to consumers.
Nigeria currently generates 5,000MW, but Fashola said 2000MW is stranded as the Discos lack equipment to transport it to consumers, which is why the government made N76 billion available to solve the problem.
But, the minister lamented that the government support has not made the Discos efficient.
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