Yemisi Izuora
The federal government hopes to improve power supply with upcoming gas projects that are scheduled for completion in the second quarter of this year.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the first monthly meeting of operators in the power sector, the government said that the Nigerian gas sector was still facing some challenges in the aspects of payment and security, but expressed optimism that the supply of gas for electricity generation would improve from the second quarter of this year.
“The Nigerian Gas Company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Gas Aggregating Company of Nigeria, led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, shared information on significant gas projects that will improve gas supply, which are scheduled for completion in Q2 of 2016.
“They also highlighted some of the challenges, especially related to payment and security affecting delivery of gas to the power sector,” the communiqué said.
According to the communiqué, the stakeholders agreed to adequately engage the public on issues around power tariffs and that they must simplify the intricacies of the industry to provide adequate understanding of its concerns.
The resolution of the meeting, which was chaired by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, in Abuja, is coming at a time when the power firms in Nigeria have agreed to explore broader funding sources in order to improve their infrastructure across the country.