26th January, 2011
The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on Tuesday said 608 transformers were distributed across Lagos state in 2010 to tackle the incessant problem of epileptic power supply.
Mrs. Bukola Ojurongbe, Business Manager, PHCN, Ikeja Zone disclosed this at the 13th Lagos Consumer Forum which was organised by Consumer Advocacy Forum Nigeria (CAFON).
Ojurongbe said the population of the country, especially in commercial areas like Lagos, was a big challenge to the company as it could not easily meet the power needs of its consumers.
“The demand is more than the supply because here we have a lot of industries, artisans and even large residential areas who are making use of electricity.
“In 2010, we distributed 608 transformers across Lagos to address the complaints from consumers but this is not still enough to tackle the problem at hand and so we have to continue load-sharing,†she said.
According to her, the nation needs about 10,000 mega watts to survive but is presently generating 3,400 mega watts.
Ojurongbe expressed optimism that the Presidential Road Map on Power Generation would be able to address the problem of the power sector in the near future.
Also speaking, Mrs. Ngozi Obidike, Chief Surveillance and Enforcement Officer, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Abuja cautioned consumers against tampering with their metres and vandalism of PHCN property.
Obidike urged them to forward their complaints to the necessary authorities, instead of taking the law into their own hands.
Earlier in her address of welcome, Ms. Sola Salako, Founding President of CAFON, noted that the topic— “Consumer Issues in Power Sectorâ€â€” was apt because of the complaints from various stakeholders.
Salako, who was represented by the Programme Officer, Miss Biola Yahaya said epileptic power supply has frustrated the growth of small scale businesses in Nigeria and impoverished majority of the populace.
She added that the forum was aimed at getting all stakeholders together to address the issue.
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