Electricity: FG Announces New Target On Power Generation

The Federal Government has announced that it aims to achieve a power generation target of at least 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year 2025.

The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, confirmed this during an assessment visit to the Calabar Power Plant of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

During this event, the minister highlighted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu inherited a power output of less than 3,000 megawatts from existing infrastructure last year.

However, there has been a consistent increase in power generation, ensuring a more reliable supply.

He emphasized that a significant portion of this power generation is sourced from the Calabar power plant operated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.

Adelabu noted that this facility, constructed approximately 15 years ago with a capacity of 625 megawatts, had been largely underutilized.

The Minister further explained that the plant is equipped with five turbines, each capable of producing over 125 megawatts, with three of them currently operating at optimal levels to supply power to the Southeast and South-South regions of the country.

“Two are undergoing turnaround maintenance, which means that it is possible to generate over 500 megawatts from the Calabar power plant alone,” he said.

The minister affirmed that the federal government is actively working on consolidating reforms within the power sector.

He stated that the primary objective of these reforms is to guarantee a stable power supply across the nation.

Additionally, he revealed that there has been a rise in energy demands, and the government is prepared to address these needs.

While charging the players in the oil and gas sector to be proactive, he said: “The power sector is very critical to both the government and national economy. This is why the president has asked me to visit all the power plants in the country and assess their functionality.

“It is not going to be business as usual. Players in the power sector must be up and about as the federal government is reforming the sector for optimal power generation and distribution in order to meet the huge demands of Nigerians.

“From my assessment, the Calabar Power Plant of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, is the most active. I’m very satisfied. We’re encouraging power installation and generations.”

He also revealed that the highly discussed privatization of the plant to the Cross River State Government is currently under consideration by the Federal Privatization Council and the Federal Executive Council.

The Commissioner for Power and Energy in Cross River, Prince Eka Williams, expressed that the state government is fully prepared and equipped to take over and manage the firm effectively, thanks to the expertise present within the organization.

On his part, the managing director of the firm, Chiedu Ugbo, noted that they are currently supplying power to a significant portion of the South-South and South East regions of the country.

He emphasized the necessity for additional sub-transmission power stations to ensure power distribution to various locations.