Despite serious power supply deficit in Nigeria and huge amount of money reportedly owed by customer-countries, the Nigerian Federal Government recently disclosed its plan to increase electricity supplies to neighbouring countries like Niger and Benin Republics.
A 2017 reports disclosed that power supplies to Niger Republics and Benin Republic executed through Federal Government owned agencies, the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, ( NBET), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) incurred to the tone of $101.46 million and $14.45 million respectively, totalling a whooping $115.91 million debt.
This situation resulted to inadequate supply of electricity to Nigerians, arising from deprivation of funds for purchase of power from the General Companies (GenCos) by NBET, and shortage of funds for expansion of transmission facilities by TCN. (Guardian Newspaper, August, 11, 2017).
During a November, 2017 Presentation of 21st Meeting of the Power Sector Stakeholders Conference in Asaba, Delta state capital city, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, in his address stated that the federal government recovered the sum of $64.630.65 million being debts owed, from supplies of electricity to Benin and Niger Republics.
"Only recently, the federal government received the sum of $64.630.65 million from the republics of Benin and Niger for electricity supplies to these two nations."
He continued..."It is our belief that our efforts at recovering some of these debts owed by our international customers will help towards reducing liquidity challenges we face in the power sector". He stated. (Vanguard Newspaper, November 14, 2017)
More-so, during a paper presentation on "Ibom Power Plant and the future of electricity in Akwa-Ibom state and Nigeria", at a monthly meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Uyo chapter, managing Director of Akwa-Ibom Company limited, Meyen Etikudo revealed that Nigeria's decision to supply electricity to neighbouring countries is economical and political. "Economical because Nigeria receives payment from Niger and Republic of Benin and Togo". He said.
Economically, the government's recent decision to increase electricity supplies to neighbouring Niger and Benin Republic notwithstanding huge debt owed can be termed reckless. Politically, peharps there might be gains. Be that as it may, the issues with this initiative may out-weigh the gains, it is only a matter of time before the nation begins to reap the insipid results of her rather irrational scheme.
What more can I state here, one can only give, out of a place of abundance. The only incidents I recall, where an individual (not a nation) is asked to give despite being in a state of need is in the Bible; and such actions were taken in "Faith", in Obedience to Divine instruction, in the Believe that something better will result from such Obedience. Nations on the other hand are advised to generate, gather and save.
Government's foremost responsibility is to ensure that its citizens are to a large extent, taken care of. These care include provisions of:
- Quality Health Care is provided,
- Good road net-works across the nation to facilitate movement and trade,
- Encouraging remuneration(s) for workers
- Qualitative Education at the Elementary, Secondary and Tertiary Institutions
- Constant Electricity supplies
- Good Drainage planing across states
- Agricultural support system
- Enable favourable Socio-economic environment for entrepreneurship development and foreign investment
- Etc.....
The above listed and more, should be the primary goal of a responsible government. Ensuring constant...2-4-7 electricity to Nigerians, should come before thinking of exporting same to other countries. A situation as currently obtained, where Nigerians wallow in darkness and spend their salaries and business interests purchasing fuel and diesels for electricity supplies, despite electoral campaign promises of "ensuring the provision of constant electricity", while customer-countries enjoy uninterrupted power supplies they didn't even pay for, is unreasonable.
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