Osinbajo expresses disappointment over DisCos under-performance

Following the inability of the DisCos to distribute available grid power to consumers, the federal government has revealed its plans to change its strategy to meet the electricity needs of Nigerians at home and those in businesses.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of electricity distribution companies in the country, said it is evident that despite efforts to expand the grid, the structure of the market today cannot deliver on the government’s promises to provide power for domestic and industrial use

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of a 2x60MVA, 132/33KV sub-station and associated 132kV transmission lines at Abeokuta, Ogun state, Osinbanjo lamented that the distribution capacity in the 11 DisCos are significantly low, hovering at around 4, 000 megawatts on average with a peak at about 5, 400megawatts.

He said that “so, despite all the availability of about 8, 000MW of generation and 7, 000MW of transmission capacity, the lack of DisCos infrastructure to absorb and deliver grid power to end-users has largely restricted generation to an average of about 4, 000MW, and sometimes even falling below 4, 000MW,” the Vice-President said.

The distribution and generation companies carved out of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) were handed over to private investors on November 1, 2013, following the privatisation of the power sector by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.