Minister urges power stakeholders to co-operate with NERC

Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has appealed to power sector stakeholders to co-operate with the Nigerian Electricity and Regulatory Commission (NERC) in performance of its regulatory functions.

Fashola, who made the appeal in Lagos at the 19th power sector operators’ meeting, said that the NERC needed stakeholders’ support to complete regulations for metering service providers and eligible customers.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was hosted by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) at the Akangba 330/132/33KV transmission station on Monday.

At another meeting, Fashola had through the NERC, declared customer eligibility regime for some categories of electricity consumers.

The declaration permits electricity customers to buy power directly from the generation companies, which is in line with the provisions of section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005.

The NERC had also provided details of the mini grid regulations for such grid developers in the sector.

The minister said if stakeholders were to cooperate with the NERC, it would fast-track completion of the customer eligibility declaration and the mini-grid regulation permit.

He said the completion would ultimately help distribute the over 6,000 Megawatts (MW) of available power.

Fashola said “from the available 6,000 MW, we are only able to distribute about 4,000 MW because of problems at the distribution end’’.

According to him, the ministry and the regulator are open to useful and practical suggestions from each distribution company (DisCo) on what can be done to help them overcome deficit in their distribution networks.

Fashola said that the provision of mini-grid regulations by the NERC had begun to yield positive results, adding that registration and licensing of mini-grid developers had started.

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“The vice-chairman of NERC informed me that a solar-based mini-grid facility will be commissioned in Kigbe Community, Kwali Local Government in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“It is a 20 KW facility that will power 145 households and 5 businesses. The developer is Havenhill Synergy Ltd.

“I am also aware that there is another one scheduled for completion and commissioning in Kano shortly,’’ he said.