21st April, 2014
Dr Sam Amadi, Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has said electricity generation nationwide would hit 12,000 mega watts before the end of 2016,
He disclosed this on Monday in Minna at a town hall meeting.
Amadi said that this would be made possible as the commission had issued licence to private power plant operators for generation of over 20,000 megawatts of power within the next three years.
“Life has thought us that nothing is impossible, we can make 30,000 mega watts within the next one year if we want. Already we have issued licence to investors to generate over 20,000 mega watts before 2016.
“I am sure that with all the efforts put in place, our power generation will surely surpass our target by 2016,” he said.
Amadi said that the huge foreign investment on the sector in recent time was a product of the reforms and regulations put in place by the government.
He said the power sector had been without framework without any cost related terms and inconsistency in policy that had been the order of the sector, but it was now being regulated.
“This has built confidence in investors, which in turn will boost the sector and our national generation level,” he said.
Amadi stated that the sector suffered decades of neglect and appealed for understanding.
He said that the commission has directed consumers not to pay any service charge to the distribution companies any time power was not supplied for two weeks.