The Transmission Firm of Nigeria (TCN) has raised an alarm over an excellent debt of ₦457 billion owed by key gamers within the Nigerian Electrical energy Provide Trade (NESI), threatening the soundness of energy transmission and total grid efficiency.
The corporate’s Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, made this recognized on Wednesday throughout a capacity-building workshop for energy sector journalists in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
He was represented by the Government Director of Transmission Service Supplier, Oluwagbenga Ajiboye.
In accordance with Abdulaziz, the debt consists of ₦217 billion in legacy arrears and ₦240 billion accrued from newer companies rendered.
Regardless of the massive {financial} burden, he mentioned TCN has managed to enhance operational capability, growing its wheeling capability to eight,701 megawatts.
Whereas noting the corporate’s efforts, Abdulaziz identified persistent challenges hampering service supply, together with vandalism, poor funding, and a fragile energy worth chain.
“The electrical energy worth chain should not be damaged,” he warned. “Its power should be uniform to efficiently ship electrical energy to shoppers.”
He referred to as for stronger investments within the distribution finish of the sector, noting that gaps within the chain might nullify positive factors made in transmission.
In a associated presentation, Aminu Tahir, Basic Supervisor of Venture Coordination at TCN, revealed that a number of newly accomplished substations stay idle resulting from delays in connecting them to the grid — largely attributable to right-of-way challenges.
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Tahir pressured that the failure to hyperlink important infrastructure undermines growth efforts and wastes worthwhile investments.
Regardless of these bottlenecks, he expressed optimism, noting that TCN has secured financing from a number of worldwide improvement companions, together with the World {Bank}, African Improvement {Bank} (AfDB), French Improvement Company (AFD), and Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company (JICA), to spice up transmission capability throughout the nation.
Talking on the rationale behind the workshop, TCN’s Basic Supervisor of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, mentioned the engagement was a part of the corporate’s initiative to construct stronger media relations and promote transparency.
“The workshop offers an avenue for journalists to work together immediately with TCN officers and acquire firsthand perception into the challenges, tasks, and plans driving the sector,” Mbah mentioned.
As Nigeria continues its wrestle with unreliable electrical energy provide, TCN’s outcry reinforces issues that systemic inefficiencies and {financial} shortfalls could persist until pressing, coordinated reforms are carried out throughout the ability sector.
