Nigerians Still Struggling With Electricity Despite Multi-million Dollar Investments – Abbas

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has said despite attracting billions of dollars in grants and investments into renewable energy since 2015, access to stable and reliable electricity remained a struggle for many Nigerians.

Abbas stated this at the public hearing on the $2 billion renewable energy grants and investments received between 2015 and 2024, organised by the House Committee on Renewable Energy in Abuja on Tuesday.

Represented by the Minority Whip, The Speaker, Hon. Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe), said this trend recently culminated in large portions of Northern Nigeria experiencing prolonged blackouts with little explanation or accountability.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, since 2015, Nigeria has attracted billions of dollars in grants and investments into renewable energy from domestic and international sources. These funds were intended to revolutionise our energy infrastructure, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and ultimately address our pressing electricity challenges.

“However, despite these considerable investments, access to stable and reliable electricity remains a struggle for many Nigerians. Recently, portions of Northern Nigeria experienced prolonged blackouts with little explanation or accountability.

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“This experience is, unfortunately, familiar to millions of Nigerians who still live without an adequate power supply or, in some cases, without any power at all. This investigation aims to understand these gaps more deeply.

“Today’s public hearing is not a witch hunt, nor is it intended to indict. Rather, it is an opportunity for open dialogue – a means to identify the challenges that hinder our progress and find Solutions that can empower us to serve Nigerians more effectively,” he added.

In his opening remarks, the Committee’s Chairman, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, said the investigation was not to witch-hunt any agency or individual but to discourage opaqueness and promote transparency and objectivity in handling government or public resources for our nation’s overall development and sound.

He said: “Any investment, especially one coming from multilateral organisations, is a debt that must be repaid one way or the other; if not by us, the current actors strutting the stage, then indeed, by future generations of Nigerians.

“It is in the realisation of this fact that the Committee, in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) globally accepted principle of transparency, accuracy, comparability, consistency and completeness (TAC), that I wish to highlight some milestones that further justifies this hearing.

“First, in 2005, under UNFCCC’s Kyoto Protocol, an international law on renewable energy was passed, making the deployment of solar, wind and other renewable energy sources profitable for sustainable development.

“Conversely, Nigeria’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Policy (NREEEEP) of 2015 has been a toothless bulldog whose impact leaves much to be desired. Indeed, our country’s Electricity Act 2023, which has gone for further amendment, further justifies the need for a stand-alone Nigeria Renewable Energy Act.”

In a presentation, the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations Alliance (REEEAA) expressed support for the investigation, which aimed to address challenges in the sector.

President Governing Council of REEEAA, Prof Magnus Onuoha, said she expressed optimism that the existence of the committee on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the National Assembly and the outcome of the hearing public hearing will change the narratives in the sector.

He said: “Pending the passage of the Nigeria Renewable Energy Act in the 10th Assembly, the Alliance will actively engage the 36 States for integrated electricity supply within their states through the Electricity Act by Providing dynamic and tailored funding solutions.

“Advocating for utilisation of local developers (from alliance member associations) as preferred developers and engaging in feasibility studies to determine most viable renewable energy sources on a state-by-state basis.

“Promote the acceleration of investments and advocate for increased indigenous capacity in emerging green hydrogen space. Enhance the implementation of E-mobility interventions and opportunities.”