By Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Tuesday disclosed that the amount of electricity required by its members to carry out their respective manufacturing operations daily has risen to 14,882 megawatts (MW), most of which it added are self-generated.
MAN said despite the huge power consumption level of its members, it found it uneconomical that up to 2,000MW of the power that electricity generation companies (Gencos) in Nigeria can generate are stranded because electricity distribution companies (Discos) are unable to evacuate them to points of need.
To this end, it said it would be looking up to the new eligible customers regulation that was recently introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to at least cut down its expenses on self-generation of power.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to advance the processes of a smooth implementation of the eligible customers regulation, the President of MAN, Dr. Frank Udemba-Jacobs, stated that members of MAN were ready to take up the 2,000MW stranded generation capacity.
He called on Discos to shelve their alleged selfish interests in opposing the eligible customers regulation, and instead consider the overall economic interest of Nigeria in this regard, adding that poor grid power supply has impeded the growth of the country’s manufacturing sector.
Details later…
