Don urges FG to resolve challenges in power sector

An academic and Howard University Professor of Mechanical/Energy Engineering, Prof. Sylvester Egwu on Thursday called on the federal government to resolve challenges impeding improved electricity supply in the country

Egwumade, who made the call in an interview on Thursday in Lagos, urged the federal government to adopt strategies that would ensure a 24-hour uninterrupted power supply because of its multiplier socio-economic effects on the society.

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”To achieve this, the federal government needs to decentralise electricity generation to allow states, local governments and private sector to generate and add to the national grid.

”If the 36 states can generate 1,000 megawatts, it will amount to 36,000 megawatts that will be added to the present generation hovering between 3, 390 and 4,678 megawatts.

”The interested private sector will also generate some megawatts that will still be added to the national grid which will increase the nation’s electricity generation significantly.

”Once generation is taken care of, the problem will remain what to do with the excess power which will be solved by overhauling the present distribution companies (DisCos) as constituted.

”Nigeria needs to move forward by improving power infrastructure and making the power sector workable as without power nothing will function properly in the country,” he said.

Egwu said that in other countries that have developed their power sector properly, the states, provinces and private sector were permitted and allowed to generate electricity.

He said that Nigeria can boost of professional engineers, proven and tested that can drive the 24-hour power realisation, adding that the engineers just need a conducive and enabling environment to turn the power sector around.

According to him, the federal government needs to move the power sector from the executive to the concurrent list in the constitution.