The Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) has promised to make laws that will hasten and sustain the development of the main and mini-grids to boost electricity supply in Nigeria.
Speaking at the three-day International Conference on Energy, Power Systems Operations and Planning, ICEPSOP 2020, in Abuja on Tuesday, chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Power, Rep. Magaji Aliyu, the Chairman House Committee on Power, said that the Federal Government had shown the resolve to develop electric power in Nigeria, especially in rural areas.
The conference was organised by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in collaboration with Howard University, and with support from the National Science Foundation, U.S. with the theme “Empowering Micro-Grid with Smart Grid Attributes Development in U.S. and Africa.”
Mogaji Aliyu said the lawmakers in the National Assembly equally have resolved to enact relevant laws that will continue to aid the development of the main and mini-grids. “This conference must also endeavour to do justice to the issue of development of adequate human capacity to achieve this objective.
“Having funds to develop these assets is one thing, having the right technology to build an enduring one is another thing, so also is having the capacity to maintain them. We must produce adequately trained personnel in order to make headway, and training and re-training should be a continuous process,’’ the lawmaker said.
According to him, NASS had gathered that certain generators for the main grid were given licenses to construct power plants and they failed to do so. “The reasons for this must be properly articulated so that it does not happen in the case of the mini-grid.
“One major drawback for a failed generator who has been given a license is that it will take several years to withdraw the license and issue the same to a new one. For rural dwellers who may not easily be connected to the main grid, that will mean living in perpetual darkness,’’ he stated.
Chibisi Ohakah
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