The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), has successfully augmented the national grid’s power capacity from 13,000 megawatts to 14,000 megawatts.
This transformation was unveiled by Dr. Joy Ogaji, the Executive Secretary of APGC, during the 2023 annual international strategic conference organized by the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria.
Dr. Ogaji attributed this substantial power capacity increase to the recent addition of the $1.3 billion Zungeru hydroelectric plant, a 700MW powerhouse located in Niger state that commenced operations in the second quarter of this year.
The inauguration of this hydroelectric plant marks a watershed moment in Nigeria’s quest for energy sufficiency.
“The national grid now boasts an installed power generation capacity of nearly 14,000 megawatts, primarily due to the Zungeru plant’s successful commencement of operations this year,” Dr. Ogaji declared.
She further encouraged potential investors to consider collaboration opportunities with the Generation Companies (Gencos) to further strengthen the nation’s power infrastructure.
However, it’s worth noting that, despite the optimistic claim of 14,000MW, the Nigerian Electricity System Operator reported an on-grid peak power generation of 4,803.60 MW on a recent Saturday.
This indicates that Nigeria still has a long way to go to meet its power sufficiency goals, as experts suggest a requirement of at least 30,000MW to address the nation’s energy needs comprehensively.
Nonetheless, the successful operation of the Zungeru hydroelectric plant marks a crucial step forward in Nigeria’s journey towards energy self-reliance and economic growth.