About nine electricity generation permits to add 1,653 megawatts (MW) to the grid could be revoked by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for failing to be put to use or were not renewed after 10 years of their issuance, THISDAY has reported.
THISDAY gathered from the list of the generation and distribution permits issued in the past by the NERC to operators and would-be investors in the country’s privatised electricity market that while a good number of the generation permits issued so far have largely remained idle and some of them renewed, these nine have either expired or would soon expire with their owners yet to renew them.
The findings also came at the time the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) disclosed that two countries – Niger and Benin Republics who owe electricity companies in Nigeria millions of dollars in electricity debts have paid $159,773,116.61 which is part of the total debt to it, with a balance of $92,315,986.20 still being owed.
According to the NBET, the payment was for electricity generated and transmitted to the two countries through their respective electricity agencies – Société Nigérienne d’Electricité (NIGELEC) and Communauté Electrique du Bénin (CEB).
