Maiduguri, the state capital and other adjoining towns are experiencing over a week of power outage following the shutdown of the gas power plant; the electricity generating plant, for maintenance.

The state has been cut off from the national grid by Boko Haram attacks since 2016 and every attempt to reconnect the area is often frustrated with renewed attacks on the power supply facilities.  Martha Yusuf, who runs shops for saloon and cold water, told Saturday Sun she resolved to close her shops because of the losses she incurred in the early days of the blackout.“I spent N8, 000 on petrol for my generator and couldn’t make any gain after removing all other expenses in my shops,” she disclosed. Surviving the last one week without electricity to work is a traumatic experience for Aliyu Adam, a welder and father of five. “My children can’t go to school this week because I have no money for their transportation. I haven’t been working,” he disclosed.

OPS proffers shift to alternative energy for survival

With many businesses operating in the face of high electricity bills and epileptic power supply, the organised private sector has advised business owners to exploit alternatives to electricity supply in order to be efficient, cut cost and break even.With the high electricity bills, many businesses are closing shop and others just hanging on a string to survive the odds of inflation and forex squeeze.Concerned about the fate of enterprises that pay heavily for services they do not enjoy, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has continued to offer suggestions on how to alleviate the problem of energy crisis.“It is one area in which the trend, since independence, has been that of progressive decline. We urge the government to sustain the reforms in the power sector until we start to see a noticeable improvement in power supply. The idea of allowing states to drive power supply management is commendable and should be well implemented to achieve desired results.

“The way to go is renewable energy and decentralizing the national grid. We urge the government to create an environment that attracts manufacturers of solar panels to drive the massive adoption of renewable energy in Nigeria,” the chamber stated. The chamber called for an aggressive metering programme that leads to 100 per cent coverage of electricity consumers.

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“This guarantees liquidity for the distribution companies and gives consumers more satisfaction with paying for what they consume. Electricity suppliers can’t charge cost-reflective tariffs and struggle to collect revenue due to inadequate metering, deterring new investment. Beyond infrastructure provision, we need a sound regulatory and policy environment to attract more foreign investment into the power sector.”

The chamber also advised the government to create an enabling environment for foreign investors to build renewable energy factories in Nigeria to upscale energy transition and reduce dependence on the national hydro grid, which has continued to crash at close intervals in recent months.

“We urge deep commitment to the Presidential Metering Initiatives’ target of installing about two million meters annually over the next five years. We expect the federal government to show more commitment to patronising local meter manufacturers to boost local content development and foster growth in the power sector.”Joe Femi-Dagunro, founder and president of Kosofe Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Saturday Sun that there are now different ways to look at the electricity supply issue in the country.

“Though, still not the standard expected, some businesses are not really complaining about poor supply but higher tariff that is based on the different bands imposed on them by the DISCOS. A lot has been said regarding this and the need to have a mixed energy supply.

“It will also be a good idea if business owners can endeavour to invest in solar energy supply and have their private energy supply from the sun. Though the initial cost might be high, itwill be justified in the long run. This can be supported by the banks and relevant government agencies if well articulated and executed without much political interference.”