Long queues for fuel worsens
Consequently, more businesses and households are thrown into skeletal operations and darkness.
This comes against the backdrop of worsening supply shortages ofthe premium motor spirit, as long queues at the various petrol stations across the country is adversely affecting businesses and livelihood.
Elsewhere in major cities, especially in
Electricity
The decrease in electricity generation, according to data obtained from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator, affected the nation's capacity to transmit and distribute adequate electricity to consumers in different parts of the nation.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, said the erratic power supply being experienced in
Minister of Power,
Aliyu, flanked by the Minister of State for Power, Mr.
He said the government was doing everything to ensure optimum supply of gas to ensure quick restoration of power.
Aliyu explained that government was expediting action on the proposed installation of 10 power transformers with additional ten mobile substations for massive improvement of electricity supply nationwide.
Petrol scarcity
In a related situation, despite FG's assurances of adequate supply of petrol, most of the roads in major cities across the country, especially
The authority also stated that 46.66 million litres of petrol was trucked out of the depots last Tuesday to filling stations in
Cardoso said: "The total stock in
Also Speaking to Vanguard, a major marketer, who preferred to be anonymous, said products were supplied to the market to cushion the petrol scarcity currently rocking the country.
According to the source, "cargoes have been paid for by the NNPC and they are on their way to
"However, there are some cargoes that are already being discharged at the depots. For
"Also, Total and OVH are loading massively from Pinnacle at night. MRS is loading from their own depot at night and this situation has been on for the past three nights."
Unwholesome practices, traffic
Vanguard observed that filling stations in Lagos State have resorted to selling petrol at night. The petrol situation in
Major roads such as
In
Some petrol stations dispensing fuel around Alimosho, Ikeja, and environs, hiked the price above official rate of N165 per litre.
A filling station along
Commercial bus drivers and personal car owners thronged the filling station in attempt to get the product, not minding the high price.
As at
It was also gathered that miscreants took over control of a filling station at Iju area of the state, collecting N500 from each motorist, before allowing access to the stationm which was selling at N200 per litre. The situation led to gridlock along the axis.
Sanwo-Olu ignored
This was actually in apparent defiance to earlier directive by Governor
"The government sympathises with motorists who are enduring the pains of the fuel shortage being experienced across the country. This, however, is no excuse to block roads and impede traffic flow," Commissioner for Transportation Dr.
Oladeinde frowned at the disorderly behaviour of some drivers, who queue up haphazardly and disrupt traffic flow around petrol stations.
He urged petrol marketers to ensure that products are sold in an orderly manner that would not infringe on the rights of other road users to free movement.
"We want our roads to be free; we do not want fuel queues to constitute a burden for other road users in
At press time, it could not be ascertained the number of vehicles that have been towed or penalized so far, despite traffic impediment across the state.
Motorists lament
Meanwhile, a motorist,
"I'm sure either NNPC are not being truthful about the availability of PMS or government is trying to force
Govt efforts on electricity
Recall that the Federal Government had set
But the minister said the project site was attacked on
According to him, work has "slowed down at the site, while efforts are on to rescue the Chinese workers."
He said the Federal Government has secured and is executing up to
The minister, while providing details of electricity supply, said the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry has delivering grid, captive, and embedded power to the tune of almost 8,000MW daily, as against the speculated 4,000MW.
He noted that the nation has an installed capacity of almost 18,000MW not 13,000MW.
Aliyu said, "I'd like you also to take away that we deliver 8,000MW of electricity daily through a combination of Grid, Embedded and Industrial Captive supply of Electricity (not 4,000MW as is frequently reported), much of this capacity added during the life of this administration.
"These are not my figures; this was an industry study conducted by
He said much of the improvement to 8,000MW occurred under the Buhari administration "through positive industrial policies driving captive industrial power investment and improved grid stability although we continue and must continue to work to improve the performance of the Grid."
Aliyu explained that these come from 28
"266
"These include the Dangote Cement Capacities in Obajana Ibese (400MW), and NLNG's Bonny Island Power Plant (240MW) amongst others.
"These are never captured in the statistics but are part of the NESI and form our industrial load for jobs. In the future many of these plants will integrate to the grid, in fact some of them supply power to communities they occupy.
"16 Embedded Power Plants with 549MW of Installed Capacities and 190MW of Daily Operational Capacity.
"From the
"The Federal Government has many key grid initiatives with more than N125.2 billion budgeted between 2015 to 2021 for TCN and Development."
The minister, however assured that the government is working on more firm Gas supply contracts for the Power sector backed by improved liquidity, which will have stiff financial penalties for underperformance.
Speaking on the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative,
He disclosed that contracts have been awarded for the construction of 10 transformers and 10 mobile power substations through Siemens which will be delivered soon.
Electricity growth sluggish in 2021
The nation's energy sector generated 36,397 gigawatt hours (gwh) electricity last year. This represents a 1.89 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise when compared with 35,720.27 gwh in 2020.
The sector also transmitted 35,654 gwh of electricity in 2021 representing a 1.78 per cent YoY rise when compared with 35,029 gwh transmitted in 2020.
In its "2020 and 2021 Power Sector Data: Energy Generated and Sent Out", report released yesterday, the
Similarly, the electricity transmitted fell by 9.06 per cent and 2.56 per cent in Q2'21 and Q3'21 respectively.
Copyright Vanguard. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source