Electricity: In 10 months, Nigeria loses N243bn

Nigeria recorded losses in power generation volume valued N243 billion between January and October this year. This is contained in the October 2020 electricity generation statistics released by the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), the umbrella body of electricity Generating Companies, GENCOs, in Nigeria.

The data puts the current available generation capacity at 7,739 megawatts (MW), while stranded generation is 3,578MW. “Total capacity loss from January to October 2020: N243.82 billion,” APGC stated.

According to the data, the major challenge facing the power sector as well as the electricity generation sub-sector is the load rejection by electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs.

According to APGC: “Maximum generation: 4,532.35MW (29th October). Minimum generation: 3,618.58MW (7th October). Maximum stranded generation was recorded on 6th October where stranded power totaled 4,401.5MW (Gas: 1,717.5 and DisCos low load demand: 2,684MW).

“Average generation for October 2020 of 4,162MW represents the maximum monthly generation in the year 2020. Of the total constraint recorded, gas constraint accounted for 47.5 percent, while load rejection by DISCOs accounted for 52.5 percent.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria and other African countries have been challenged to improve on energy database so that the continent’s energy demand would be tracked and existing gaps possibly closed.

This came up at the virtual discussion on ‘Building a Harmonised and Centralised Energy Database Through the Africa Energy Information System (AEIS)’, hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) during the Digital Energy festival.

The dialogue was concentrated on the necessity of improving the existing energy database in order to better appreciate the energy needs of African nations.

The discussion which was part of the six weeks Digital Energy Festival for Africa, brought together a cross section of energy stakeholders, Kevin Kanina Kariuki, AfDB Vice-President for power, energy, climate and green growth; Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at African Union Commission; Rashid Abdullah, director at African Energy Commission (AFREC); and Roberta Quadrelli, head of section, energy data centre at the International Energy Agency, IEA.

Kariuki said: “What cannot be measured cannot be improved,” adding that AEIS is key to the energy sector in Africa.

Sharing Kariuki’s sentiments around the upgrading of the data system, Abou-Zeid said AEIS needs to be in line with artificial intelligence and on par with international standards.

However, she said the key would be the implementation, adding, “Digitalisation will have a huge implication going forward,” Abou-Zeid said