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Generators Provide 48.6% Of Electricity In Nigeria -NBS

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Generators powered by petrol, diesel and gas provide 48.6 per cent of the electricity consumed by power users across the country, according to the latest data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics.
A document by the NBS on Power Sector Data Preview, which was presented to the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry this month and obtained on Friday, showed that almost half of the country’s electricity supply was from generators.
The report further showed that the national grid was providing 51.2 per cent of the country’s power needs, indicating that many citizens in Nigeria depend on generators for electricity.
The NBS document showed that petrol-powered generators accounted for the bulk (22.6 per cent) of the electricity supplied by generators.
This was followed by diesel-powered generators, 16.6 per cent, while gas-powered generators accounted for 9.4 per cent of the self-generated electricity.
The bureau said out of 51.2 per cent of electricity provided by the country’s power grid, gas-powered plants accounted for 39.5 per cent, while hydroelectric plants were providing 11.7 per cent.
Off-grid renewables, according to the NBS, accounted for 0.1 per cent of the power consumed nationwide.
Commenting on the poor performance of the power sector despite being privatised more than eight years ago, the President, Nigerian Institution of Power Engineers, Israel Abraham, said the expectations of citizens in the privatised industry had not been met.
He disclosed this in a presentation sent to the ACCI, titled, “Nigerian power sector reform: Implementation, challenges and way forward.”
Abraham said, “In its efforts to improve the power supply situation in the country, the government opted for the reforms and eventual privatisation of the sector to attract private sector finance, technical and administrative expertise.
“However, the government and citizens’ expectations have not been fully realised many years after the exercise.”
He explained that the commercialisation and corporatisation of the sector, being the most critical stage in the reform implementation where bold and realistic decisions ought to have been taken, was skipped entirely in the implementation process.
Abraham said, “It is at this stage that private sector initiatives, such as transparency and corporate governance frameworks are introduced into the industry that will attract capital inflow to improve operational efficiencies, reducing technical and non-technical losses.
“Unfortunately, this critical stage was skipped entirely in our implementation process.”
On the way forward, the NIPE president said there was a need to strengthen institutions such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, System Operator and Market Operator established to drive the reform implementation process.
He said, “Unbundle the Transmission Company of Nigeria into its component units, Transmission Service Provider, Market Operator and System Operator to instil confidence in the market. Ensure full implementation of the ruling documents (Acts, Market Rules and Grid Code) to bring discipline in the market.
“Government to reduce to the barest minimum political interference in the operation of the industry regulator -NERC, for it to be truly independent and that will instil confidence in new investors.”

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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