President Buhari leaving lasting legacy in power sector – Group

The statement said that the administration was fully aware of the vital role of electricity in the country's development.

“We acknowledge that there is still a long way to go in terms of permanently breaking the country’s electricity jinx.

“The Buhari administration is contributing significantly in laying a solid foundation for uninterrupted power supply in every part of the country in the near future.

“For the first time in decades there is the political will to roll out policies, incentives and financing to improve the generation, transmission and distribution of reliable electricity to Nigerians,’’ Ogunlesi said.

This, he added include the poorest and most vulnerable among the population.

He said the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) launched in August 2020, in line with a presidential directive was to ensure that Nigerians receiving electricity from the national grid were metered.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been tasked with providing the N60 billion for the first phase of the NMMP, with a target of 1 million meter installations.

“As of May 2021, more than 500,000 meters had been delivered to the Discos, and more than 280,000 installed,’’ he said.

He noted that the administration had kept its promise of completing inherited projects, many of which were abandoned or facing funding challenges, stressing that it should be supported to enable it do more.

He listed the abandoned electricity projects inherited by the administration to include; the 40MW Kashimbila Dam and Hydropower Plant; the 10MW Katsina Wind Farm, and the 30MW Gurara Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Ogunlesi added that while the Gurara Hydroelectric Power Plant had been completed and concessioned to the private sector in 2020, the 700MW Zungeru Hydropower Plant was scheduled for completion at the end of 2021.

“The Buhari administration also built the Afam Three Fast Power Plant, with a capacity to generate 240MW of electricity.

“Following a competitive bidding process, that new plant has been sold, alongside the neighboring 966MW installed capacity Afam Power Plant to Transcorp."

This, Ogunlesi said was in demonstration of the administration’s belief in the managerial capacity of the private sector.

He said the administration was also resolving the liquidity issues faced by players in the power sector, promoting off-grid and renewable initiatives and targeting underserved communities and vulnerable populations.

He added that the administration was ensuring robust consumer protection for on-grid electricity consumers.