Based on the availability of adequate gas supply and subject to sufficient budgetary funding, the minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has said that power supply could rise by 2,000 megawatts (mw) in the next 12 to 15 months.

He stated that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will build some critical infrastructure, subject to budgetary funding, to transport gas to the power plant that will add the 2,000mw to grid supply in the coming months.

Disclosing this at his inaugural media briefing in Abuja, Fashola said that apart from the availability of gas infrastructure other issues like environmental concerns and appropriate pricing for gas have had negative impact on power supply.

He noted, however, that the recent review of gas from $1.30 per unit to $3.30, although still below the $4.00 International market price will help bridge the availability gap.

On transmission network, he said, “Today’s reality is that available power is slightly larger than the capacity which it can support else we will experience persistent system collapse. So government, through the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has identified a total of 142 critical projects of which 45 are at 50 per cent and above level of completion. Of this lot a further 22 projects can be completed within a year.

“With budgetary provision, government intends to aggressively pursue completion to increase the carrying capacity of the generation companies to the distribution companies from which the transmission carrying capacity must expand well ahead of the generating capacity that will take care of future expansion in power generation,” he said

Credit: Leadership