Nigeria's 'power shortage' strikes, capital Abuja frequently plunges into darkness

Since June, Nigeria, a major African economy, has been experiencing a severe power shortage, plunging most areas, including the capital Abuja and the largest city Lagos, into darkness repeatedly. To maintain normal work and life, local residents have had to rely on generators. Nigeria's Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, described the power shortage as a "nightmare."

　　Currently, Nigeria's total installed power generation capacity is about 6 gigawatts, which can only meet the electricity needs of 40 million people out of a total population of 160 million. Brazil and Pakistan have populations comparable to Nigeria's, but their installed power generation capacities are 24 and 5 times that of Nigeria, respectively. According to World Bank data, Nigeria experiences an average of 46 days of power outages per year, each lasting at least 6 hours.

　　Last month, a transmission line failure in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, left most of the state without power for three weeks. It took the power department 12 days to restore power. Similar situations occurred in Kebbi State in the northwest, where some areas remain without power due to vandalism and recent heavy rains.

　　In fact, Nigeria has abundant natural gas, coal, and other resources, with the potential to meet its domestic electricity needs, yet it suffers from a severe power shortage. The immediate cause is system failures due to frequent rainfall and vandalism, while the root cause lies in the country's weak power infrastructure and lack of a long-term plan for integrated energy and power infrastructure.

　　Not long ago, Nigeria announced a power plan to reach 40 gigawatts of installed power generation capacity by 2020. In 2009, the Nigerian government proposed a plan called "Gas Master" aimed at increasing investment in pipeline infrastructure and natural gas power plants to meet electricity demand. However, with the deteriorating security situation in the Niger Delta region, attracting investment has become a challenge.

　　Peter, chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said: "Clearly, we need more players to enter the power and energy sector. The frequent power outages are mainly due to poor management, lack of maintenance, funding shortages, corruption, and vandalism. If we want to be a member of the G20 by 2020, the government must address these issues promptly and effectively."

　　In 2010, the Nigerian government attempted to use privatization to alleviate the power shortage. In May of that year, President Goodluck Jonathan launched a major reform initiative to privatize the power sector, aiming to break the monopoly of the state-owned Power Holding Company of Nigeria. By the end of 2012, the privatization process was largely complete. In April of this year, Nigeria sold 10 state-owned power plants and 5 power supply companies to private enterprises. In early June, the government announced a plan to privatize 10 natural gas power plants by mid-2014.

　　Currently, this measure has alleviated the tight power supply situation in Nigeria to some extent, but lack of funds and insufficient routine maintenance continue to create great difficulties for the country's power supply. Chinedu Nebo also said that after the privatization of electricity, the budget had no maintenance reserve fund, making routine maintenance of infrastructure very difficult.

　　However, international aid to Nigeria has not stopped.

　　In March, the Nigerian Ministry of Power stated that the European Union and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) provided 15 million euros and 9 million euros respectively to the Nigerian government to assist in the construction of power plants and research in the power sector.

　　On May 28, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Zungeru Hydropower Station, constructed by China Power Engineering Consulting Group and China Water and Power Consultants International Engineering Co., Ltd. ("CPECC-CWE Joint Venture"), was held in Niger State. The power station has a total installed capacity of 700 megawatts and an average annual power generation of 2.64 billion kilowatt-hours. The construction of the power station is of great significance to improving Nigeria's power shortage, meeting the needs of national economic development, and improving people's living standards. At the same time, the Zungeru Hydropower Station will also drive further development of hydropower projects in Nigeria.

　　In addressing the "power shortage," Nigeria continues to face a series of challenges, including funding, technology, talent, management, infrastructure, and international cooperation. Currently, only a few foreign investors are willing to invest in the country's power sector, with most companies preferring to invest in the oil and gas industry. Experts say that only with sustained economic development in Nigeria can its power problems be fundamentally resolved. Reporter Zhang Qi