Power Roadmap Shaky As FG Misses Targets

This Day

29 December 2010

Power Roadmap Shaky As FG Misses Targets

There is uncertainty over the actualisation of the key tasks in the power sector roadmap as some of the action plans scheduled for completion at the last quarter of 2010 could not be actualised at their target dates, THISDAY has learnt.

According to investigations, the Federal Government could not realise the milestone dates of some of the major programmes in the reform agenda.

This development has fuelled speculations that the key actors in the reform process may be concentrating greater efforts on political interests ahead of the 2011 elections.

This slow progress of the roadmap, which was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan on August 2010, has also fuelled concern that Nigerians could witness longer years of epileptic electricity supply than envisaged.

According to the roadmap, power generation ought to hit 5,379 megawatts by this December.

Under this action plan, 2278 megawatts and 1,230mw would come from Federal Government-owned gas-fired plants and hydro power stations, respectively; 351mw from the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) and 1,520mw from the Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

But available statistics indicate that current generation hovers around 3,500mw, which is even below generating capacity at the period the roadmap was launched.