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NEPA/PHCN: Still A Sleeping Giant By Isa Muhammad Inuwa ismi2000ng@yahoo.com
BEING one of the oldest government corporations since Nigeriaˇ's independence or even prior to that, the National Electricity Power Supply Company ¨C NEPA (Now PHCN), deserves all sorts of respect and protection as a lasting and living legacy and pride of a nation. However, the accompanying vicissitudes and ups and downs associated with the power supplying body has attached a lingering stigma to its name, which is synonymous with inefficiency in its vital functions of supplying (supposedly) uninterrupted electricity to the ever increasing demand of the populace. For instance, it has already become a settled tradition with NEPA to create abrupt and constant power outage or electricity shedding while an important official function is on or at a very vital institution. Worst still, no prior excuses, notice or warning were usually issued for people and organizations to get prepared for such outage. The people themselves most often show less or no surprise because they are so used to the situation. For the past years, electricity supply has been highly irregular and epileptic thereby forcing individuals and institutions to resort to purchasing electricity-generating machines as alternative and standby power sources. Different brands of generators of all sizes and colours are selling like hot cake in the market with the manufacturers and importers of the machines making huge profits from the appreciative and quick market turn over. It is indeed an irony and still remains a myth for an average Nigerian to explain why NEPA is supplying electricity efficiently to some neighbouring countries and the same body is failing in its patriotic duty to provide adequate and uninterrupted power back at home. Although some of the reasons for NEPAˇ's shortcomings of course include the obsolete condition of the generating equipment due to old age and lack of maintenance. One of the biggest and oldest among the electricity generating installations is the Kainji Hydro Power Station in the River Niger, with other supporting thermal stations such as the Egbin and Afam in the Niger-Delta region. It is on record that a chunky 75 percent of the electricity power comes from the gas-powered generating stations while hydro-powered ones produce 25 percent of Nigeriaˇ's total electricity output. Now that most, if not all parts of Nigeria are suffering from the worst blackout and dearth of power ever witnessed in history, authority reports from NEPA hinted that the gas-powered stations were lacking constant supply of gas due to breaking and castration of gas pipe-lines feeding the stations by militants in the Niger-Delta region. That is to say, the main sources of about one third of the total electricity is down and paralyzed from normal function, which warrants heavy dependence for the remaining one third source of power on the hydro powered source capable of producing only 25 percent. Indeed this electricity failure has already developed to an alarming rate for Nigerians and the Nigerian economy, as a result of which many industries and factories have gone out of business. For most industries, it is equally difficult to operate and survive on using independent electricity generators due to stupendous hike in price of gas and diesel to run the generating machines. From the word go, since the beginning of democracy rule in Nigeria in 1999, the president pledged to raise the level of electricity generation to 10,000 mega watts by 2003. Having not been able to hit that target, Mr. President renewed his pledge in his inaugural speech to continue his second term in May 2003. Today we are in the year 2006 and exactly three years after the second pledge and six after the first, still that goal remains a far cry and unrealized. One would begin to wonder that apart from the electricity that is supposed to be a common benefit for Nigerians what any other thing a common Nigerian is really benefiting from the countryˇ's huge oil income every year. The unfortunate and disheartening incident of money scandal and mismanagement in NEPA during the past regime of 1999 to 2003 at which a monumental sum of money disbursed for the so-called over-hauling and general servicing of NEPA installations and the money siphoned away, remains a nasty and stinking scar on NEPA and sticks in the memory of Nigerians. Regrettably, when finally NEPA fell into the ravaging list of privatization of government owned public corporations which renamed it to PHCN ¨C Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the old condition remains the same and even worst. Even if the decision to privatize and commercialize NEPA is viable, a lot of other things have to be done in order to stop corruption within the circle of NEPA staff. For instance metters for houses and offices supplied consumers of the electricity should be made very much available and at cheaper rates affordable by every average house or office owner. Likewise the billing system which is most often worrisome for its over-charging, should be reversed and be more just and accurate. This particular trend of insufficient power supply calls for separate efforts by various states of the federation and even local governments and bigger institutions to design and install their own alternative power sources. The fact about the vastness of Nigerian nation and its population capacity, it is no longer reasonable if not hazardous, to rely on NEPA for the total electricity needs, more so in our current situation of a fast advancing and modern world. A situation whereby, despite all efforts and financing, still the power supply is still less than half of the 10,000 mega watts as projected goal by the year 2007, tells much of how difficult, if not impossible is it to realize the target. Statistics indicated that even the so-bragged 10,000 mega watts is quite below average for a vast nation like Nigeria, with an estimated population of between 120 to 150 million. For instance, world records on production and consumption of electricity in countries has shown that South Africa whose population is barely 45 million, produces 32,000 mega watts of electricity, while a 32 million populated Argentina generates 9,500 mega watts. Going by the above records and taking Argentina for a comparative reference, Nigeria would need to generate as much as 47,500 mega watts. Although in some countries, a centralized and single power sources are efficient and functional enough to generate the required amount of electricity the situation in Nigeria really calls for a diversification by turning to other alternative sources such as the ˇ°Solar Energyˇ±. More so, that large part of the northern Nigeria is very rich in the natural sunshine, which is converted to the solar energy. A lot of other simple sources abound in our environment. Private and Government Institutions whose staff attend technological and scientific workshops and expositions in oversees countries ought to bring in this technology of using various sources to produce alternative energy as a support to the major power source. The NEPA, now PHCN as one of the old legacies of Nigerian nation has lived and survived so long, yet encumbered with problems and obstacles to reach its pinnacle of growth. The realities on ground about the unreliability of NEPA should make us to think of ways to complement the sleeping giant. Another thing worth of mention here, is the disturbing and outright unfairness in the on-going installation of new power sub-stations, whereby the Northern part of Nigeria is highly marginalized and all the sub-stations concentrated to the south, particularly the south western states. This is simply seen by many, as one example of outright nepotism and degradation and demotion against the North. ISA MUHAMMAD INUWA is a Freelance journalist with Radio Desutche Welle, in Kano E-mail: ismi2000ng@yahoo.com Phone: 08035899555
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