Generator queue at a fuel station

Nigerians have begun to call out their representatives at the National Assembly following the introduction of a bill to ban the sale and use of generators.

The bill titled “a bill for an Act to prohibit/ban the importation of generating sets to curb the menace of environmental (air) pollution and to facilitate the development of the power sector” passed First Reading at the Senate on Wednesday.

Sen. Bima Enagi (APC – Niger South) sponsored the bill, which prescribes a 10-year jail term for anyone caught selling generators.

According to the sponsor, the bill when passed will stop “the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect, in the country.”

It will also ban the “importation and use of generating sets (generators) in the country and to curb the menace of environmental pollution which leads to potential health hazards it poses to the whole nation”.

However, the ban shall not include generator sets used for essential services such as medical purposes, airports, railway stations, elevators, escalators, research institutions, and facilities that require a 24-hour power supply.

“Approval for exclusion shall, however, be obtained from the Minister in charge of Power, who shall brief the Federal Executive Council quarterly on approvals granted,” the supporting document read in part.

However, many Nigerians who took to social media queried how a country with an unstable power supply would be able to sustain the ban on generators in residential areas, which the bill appears to target.

See some reactions;

https://twitter.com/blvck_Witch/status/1237734751785680898