160,000 MW Possible By 2014 -

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu
Nebo, on Thursday, said Nigeria was
capable of generating 160,000
megawatts before the end of 2014.
Nebo made the remark in Abuja at
the Nigeria International 4th Power
Expo and Conference, organised by
the Ministry of Power and BKG
Company.
“Two weeks ago, the Geregu Power
Plant was commissioned by Mr
President and he would commission
all the 10 NIPPs’ power plants by the
end of 2014.
“Nigeria produces and consumes
4,000mw of electricity, only 2.5 per
cent of what South Africa is
producing and consuming.
“Nigeria needs to increase electricity
generation by 40 joules before the
end of 2014, then it would be talking
of 160,000 mw,” he said.
Nebo stressed that opportunities to
make this happen abound in the
country, adding that this also
depended on investors venture into
power sector by utilising the 4th
expo conference.
Nebo added that the services
companies -generation, transmission
and distribution network- were to
ensure that all the plants were
running very well.
He stated that the ministry was
partnering with investors to ensure
that rural areas not connected to
national grid were connected even to
renewable sources of electricity.
He listed the renewable energy
sources as biomass, solar, gas
turbine, hydro turbine and wind,
among others.
Nebo said that when the rural
communities of Nigeria had been
electrified, it would have multiplier
effects on development, stressing
that income, standard of living and
job opportunities would increase.
He said that President Goodluck
Jonathan inaugurated Power Sector
Roadmap in August 2010 in order to
liberalise the sector from public
driven economy to private driven
one.
He said there were only 150,000
telephone lines for over 150 million
people when NITEL was not
privatised, but with privatisation, the
country now had over 120 million
lines.
Earlier, Mr Ifeanyi Agwu, the
Executive Director of BKG,
commended President Jonathan for
ensuring that the power sector was
privatised.
SOURCE: www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/
index.php/en/news/item/24206-160000-
mw-possible-by-2014-minister.html

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