The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says that
electricity generation has hit 4,286 megawatts as against the 3,700 MW that is
being insinuated in the country.

TCN’s Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Dave
Ifabiyi also said that the drop in power generation on Monday was due to the
one-day shutdown of a power plant.

Ifabiyi, who made the clarifications in a telephone
interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, said that power generation
dropped by 460 megawatts on Monday.

“The 460 megawatts drop in power generation on Monday was
due to the one-day shutdown of the Okpai Power Plant owned by Agip Oil Company
in Delta State.

“The plant was closed to undergo repairs,’’ he said.

He said that the one-day closure of the Okpai Power Plant
forced power generation to stand at 4,100 megawatts, which rose to 4,286 MW on
Tuesday.

“As at Tuesday, Nigeria’s power generation stood at 4,286
megawatts. We are expectant that our power generation capacities will build-up
with time.

“The shutdown of the Okpai Power Plant was because of
vandalised line which was later restored the same day,’’ he said.

Ifabiyi said that the ongoing privatisation of the power
sector would result in increased power generation and improved supply of
electricity to Nigerians.

Our correspondent recalls that as at December 2012, power
generation ratio in Nigeria stood at 4,502.2 megawatts.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission
(NERC) has said  that PHCN customers who
were willing to purchase their own prepaid meters could go ahead and do so.

The Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi,  told newsmen in Abuja that willing customers
could make advance payment to the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) of their choice.

This is contrary to earlier pronouncement by the NERC in
December when it said that the pre-paid meters being distributed to users
remained free of charge.

In a recent official letter, NERC stated that consumers were
not required to pay for collection of meters, as the cost had already been
reflected in the new electricity tariff.

It added that there should not be any exchange of monies
between customers and PHCN.

Amadi, however, told newsmen that the commission would soon
organise a public hearing on how long customers would have to wait before they
got their meters.

He said that the commission would sanction DISCOs who
collected money from customers and did not provide the meters.

Amadi also said that the commission would put measures in
place to monitor the operations of the vendors who would supply and install the
meters directly to users.

He said that the commission would also work out modalities
for payment of the meters.

The chairman said that the public hearing would also look at
how to protect the Small and Medium Enterprises from high fixed charges and
tariffs.