Three neighbouring countries bought a total amount of electricity worth $81.48bn from Nigeria in the last two years, even as many households and busin
Three neighbouring countries bought a total amount of electricity worth $81.48bn from Nigeria in the last two years, even as many households and businesses in the country continued to suffer blackout.
The invoices given to the Republics of Togo, Niger and Benin for the electricity supplied to them from Nigeria in 2018 and 2019 totalled $81.48bn, an analysis of data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has shown.
Niger bought electricity worth $26.03bn in the two-year period while Togo and Benin imported $55.45bn electricity from Nigeria.
Power generation in the country has been hovering between 3,000 megawatts and 4,500MW in the past few years, despite the privatisation of the sector in 2013. The national grid has continued to suffer system collapse over the years amid lack of spinning reserve that is meant to forestall such occurrences. Between November 1, 2013 and May 2020, the number of total grid collapse recorded was 83 while the grid partially collapsed 25 times.
However, Nigeria, through some of its power plants, sell electricity to the neighbouring countries, which are classified as international customers.
Niger’s power firm, Societe Nigerienne d’electricite, received a total invoice of N3.01bn for electricity supply from Nigeria in the first quarter of 2019; N3.69bn in Q2; N4.1bn in Q3; and N2.07 in Q4. In 2018, NIGELEC received an invoice of $2.89bn in Q1; $3.56bn in Q2; $3.63bn in Q3: and $3.08bn in Q4. Communaute Electrique du Benin, a power firm owned by Togo and Benin, received a total invoice of N9.74bn for the power supplied to it in Q1; N7.16bn in Q2; and N2.27bn in Q3 but none in Q4.
In 2018, CEB received an invoice of $9.04bn in Q1; $9.44bn in Q2; $8.48bn in Q3; and $9.32bn in Q4.
According to NERC’s quarterly reports, the international customers did not make any payments in each of the four quarters of 2019.
“The Federal Government has continued to engage the governments of neighbouring countries benefitting from the export supply to ensure timely payments for the electricity purchased from Nigeria,” the regulator added.
ThePunch
