EPILEPTIC POWER SUPPLY IN NIGERIA: EFFECTS
The state of electricity supply in
our continental giant is pathetic.
Nigeria, though the 39th top
economy in the world, is almost nowhere to be found in comparison to many other
countries, in terms of power supply. With 20.13 billion Kilowatt-hour (kw/h) of
electricity, Nigeria is far from Brazil (509.2 kw/h), South Africa (238.3
kw/h), Egypt (123.9 kw/h), Malaysia (118.2 kw/h), Argentina (115.4 kw/h), etc.
Right from 1999 when former
president Obasanjo ascended the presidential seat till this moment, Nigerians
have received quite a number of “serious” promises of improvement of power
supply in the country. And all of these promises have usually been followed –
after some time in each administration – by excuses for failure to fulfill them.
Cabals, have been blamed often, for sabotaging the funds, but nothing has
changed or been done about it.
The effects of inadequate power
supply in Nigeria are far reaching.
Inconsistent electricity supply is
one factor that reduces Nigeria’s chances of attracting foreign investors.
Industries whose production depends on electric power will find it quite unwise to come and be established in a
country like Nigeria where their production cost will be multiplied by the need
to run heavy duty generators almost permanently.
Ironically, Ghana, our neighbour,
whose citizens used to run to Nigeria to seek greener pastures back in the 70s
and 80s, now have us running to them to partake of what they have made of their
country. Both Nigerian and foreign investors are now moving to and establishing
their industries and businesses in Ghana. They build factories and private
mansions there and even send their children to their schools over there. This
is the result of the better learning environment, boarding facilities,
amenities, constant electricity supply, etc, all making life easier.
Apart from attracting foreigners,
the situation of power supply is not in any way helpful to industries that are
already established in the country. The effect is on our economy, and you can
guess those who are hardest hit. Factories, in order to carry on with their
production, invest in heavy power generating plants. They therefore hike the
prices of their products in order to make up for the expenses that have gone
into the production process.
What about small and medium scale
industries that find it difficult to afford generating plants, and thus have to
rely on our “Power Holders”? Continuous power outage helps to damage their equipment and that could lead to the end of
the business. This is an indication of economic growth. Isn’t it?
Education also has its share of the
effects of epileptic power supply in Nigeria.
The quality of education in Nigeria
is on the decline, and inconsistent electricity is part of the reasons for
this. Being a student, I can connect with this to a great extent. How can a
student study during night hours without light? The use of lanterns, candles
and the likes has led to many students developing eye problems. Some students
have even lost their lives as a result of inhaling too much toxic fumes from
generators.
Furthermore, the era in which we
live is one in which computers and the internet cannot be done without.
Students need to have access to information online in order to carry out
effective research on various subjects. Some state governments are reported to
have given out quite a lot of computers to schools. Good moves those are, but
with what electricity will those computers be used?
| Power Plant |
The health sector is not exempted
from the issue.
Certain hospital equipment cannot
be operated without electric power. Ultra sound, kidney dialysis machines, CT
scan equipment all need electric energy to function. There have been many cases
where patients were turned away from certain hospitals because the generator
broke down and certain life saving services could not be offered. Where is our
Nigeria headed?
Environmental effects abound too.
The environment has suffered a
great deal because of unreliable electric supply. The generators used both by
individuals and factories produce toxic fumes that become part of the
atmospheric air that people breathe in. Little wonder respiratory illnesses are
on a rapid increase.
Many Nigerians have portable
generators which they keep and use in their balconies - for safety. There have
been many cases where whole families were found dead in the morning because all
thorough the night, they had inhaled carbon monoxide, one of the byproducts of
the generators.
The Nigerian government must rise
up to the responsibility of tackling this enormous problem. With so much oil
fund available to Nigeria, Nigerians cannot continue to accept excuses and
shifted blames as answers to their questions.
THERE HAS TO BE A SOLUTION!
I believe there is…
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