By Energy Worth
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has said there would be a drop in power supply because of the rain.
He said power equipment was prone to destruction when there is heavy rainfall, adding that transformers, wires, cables and others are damaged by a thunderstorm.
Speaking on the sideline of a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, he said heavy rainfall was not a new thing, adding that thunderstorms have debilitating effects on the power supply.
He said efforts were on to reduce the havoc wrecked on power facilities by rain.
Fashola said: “We are guiding against future occurrence as power is key to the growth of the country. We are trying to bring in power equipment that is water-proof to forestall destruction of the facilities by rainfall.
He said the Federal Government was worried that the level of investment in the sector had reduced due to the fact that investors were no longer interested in making more investments in the industry.
He said generation, distribution and transmission arms of the nation’s power sector are worst hit as people are not ready to invest in any of them.
He said few out of over 100 licences issued to investors in the generation segment of the industry were active, noting that the issue was having a negative effect on the sector.
Fashola said over 800 containers were stranded at the ports across the country, when he assumed office, adding that they were filled with power equipment.
He said: “The containers were not cleared by the Federal Government then because money was not budgeted for that purpose. Nigerians are witnessing the effects of that mistake because the government failed to spend enough money on the sector. Had it been that money budgeted for the sector was well utilised, we would not have been complaining of irregular power supply in the country.’’
Fashola said the current administration had succeeded in clearing 501 containers of power equipment, which have been sent to sites where power plants are located.
“Where do you think those containers are now? They are in the sites, including power substations in the country,” he said, adding that while some power substations have been completed, others are nearing completion,” he said.
