NERC Pleads With Consumers Over Blackout
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Wednesday begged Nigerians to exercise patience with the power generation and distribution companies with respect to the drop in electricity supply and the attendant blackouts being experienced nationwide.
According to the NERC represented by the Acting Chief Executive, NERC, Dr. Tony Akah, while playing host to a delegation from the International Association of Energy Economics at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja said that the drop in power supply is due to vandalism of critical installations and heavy downpour witnessed in parts of the country recently, adding that the Federal Government was working hard to repair the vandalized gas pipelines.
According to Punch News, the country’s electricity woes worsened on Tuesday as two additional power generating plants were shut down, bringing the total number of plants not generating any megawatts of electricity to 10.
The two plants which were recently shut are Shiroro Power Station in Niger State and Sapele II in Delta State.
The Commission was not specific as to when power generation and its supply would improve. However, it was quick to state that there was hope of tangible increase in electricity generation.
When asked the question on the fall in power generation, Dr. Tony Akah stressed that it was as a result of vandalism as well as the heavy downpour from the past.
“On the decline in power, as you may know, part of the reasons have to do with the issue of pipeline vandalism and the heavy downpour that happened in the past.”
The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is powered by the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005 to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians for stable, adequate and safe electricity supply. The Act mandates the Commission to ensure that electricity investors recover costs on prudent investment and provide quality service to customers.
