Sam Amadi, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said the Nigerian government-built capacity for less than 8,000 MW, between the date of the first power plant built in Ijora Lagos in 1896 and the beginning of the power sector reforms in 2000.
The former NERC boss said that four thermal plants and four hydropower stations were built in 104 years.
Making this startling revelation in an interview with Guardian, Amadi said the government allowed the power sector to be controlled by the vagaries of public spending.
According to the power expert, before the advent of the reform, the bulk of financing for development and maintenance of the national grid came through the National Budget.
He lamented that insufficient funds were responsible for capacity growth, maintenance, and system planning.
“Releases from the National Budget are often inadequate and irregular such that it is difficult for the utility operator to comply with scheduled maintenance and system upgrade.
“In the reform model there are common services, which the state will continue to fund. One of such services is transmission service” he noted.
He added that the national grid should have been expanded before the sector was privatised.
