“Abia has exhibited the strength and determination of the Igbo man when he sets out time to achieve a feat. With a leadership by a man that is time tested to prove skeptics wrong and rebuild his homeland to the Dubai of Africa, Lagos won’t be a match when this great task is accomplished”
By Njoku SaintJerry A.
Nigeria’s power generation and supply from its national grid revolves between 3,500MW and 4,500MW year on year for an estimated population of over 200 million people. Now that’s not the bad news, the nightmare is that between the year January 2024 till date power generation in Nigeria has dropped to an all time low fluctuating between 3000MW to 450MW for the same over 200 million electricity users!
According to information sourced from the National Population Commission, Percentage of Nigerian households that have access to electricity ranges between 90.3% to 10.9% with the South West region enjoying between 60% to 80% with Lagos in the lead at 99.3% followed by Kwara State at 90.6%, Edo and Ogun State while the rest of the region battles between 20% to 40% with Taraba at 10.9%.
This statistics simply states that Lagos has the highest access to electricity at 99.3% despite our cries of epileptic power supply; other States seems to be worse off.
Then enters the new rave of the moment, Abia State with its Geometric Power, at a time many residents and small scale business owners in Lagos are closing shops and queuing up for visas to nearby African countries with sizeable electricity supply, to save their businesses.
The only problem experience has not taught those fleeing to nearby African states is that, they may not have the kind of market size with purchasing power compared to Nigeria and its insatiable appetite for anything money can buy irrespective of the economic hardship Nigerians will always have money to pay for their voracious consumerism
Before now, Abia State, according to NPC’s rating of states with access to electricity stood at 81.7% for about 5 Million residents while Lagos with over 20 million residents grapples with it shares of the Nigeria’s 3000MW at 99.3% access rate. If you split this 3000MW according to access rates of each state in line with their population, the position of Abia state today with its launch of Geometric Power should get you thinking, whether you are a business man or a service provider, this is the best time to relocate down South East.
Take for instance, while over 200 million Nigerian electricity users’ grapples with an unreliable power supply at 3000MW, The city of Aba alone, with about 3 Million residents or less will enjoy a whooping 188MW power supply from the Geometric Power Plant. That is the kind of transformation every citizen should pray and work for, and this will continue to stand Abia on the podium of industrial revolution, boost public safety with its steady electricity and attract the confidence of investors and Nigerians all over the world to consider relocating to South East.
Reason is; Abia State has been in the news for everything quality governance and intentional leadership that wants to develop and make quality lifestyle happen by every means necessary.
There is no development without electricity therefore whether Nigeria is developing should be measured by the quality of access to electricity the country enjoys in line with the population of residents in each region that is quoted to be enjoying any privileges of electricity.
For the new comers or for those reading about Abia State on Social media platforms, what you are reading is a tip of the ice barge, the situation of the electricity promised by Abia State Geometric Power and the efforts of the Labour party government led by Gov. Alex Otti to rebuild Abia as Center of commerce and industry is a well thought out process that will outlive both the oppositions and voodoo analysts that do not believe in the doctrine of a new Abia that will usher in the South East regional development that has become a necessity if the Millionaire business owners of South East stock battling for space and recognition with authorities in Lagos will exhibit the wisdom to read and understand the signs of times.
Abia has exhibited the strength and determination of the Igbo man when he sets out time to achieve a feat. With a leadership by a man that is time tested to prove skeptics wrong and rebuild his homeland to the Dubai of Africa, Lagos won’t be a match when this great task is accomplished.
Perhaps you do not know; one of the major causes of Nigeria’s continuous failing power supply is the absence of steady gas supply. Nigeria government is owing suppliers over $1.3 billion for past supplies. This is an inherited accumulated bills that merely represents the intentions of those acting as your leaders but do not have the slightest atom of sincerity to deal with the power supply situation head on, huge debts owed to the transmission, generation and gas supply companies do not appear to ameliorate any time soon with the level of ‘chop I chop’ corrupt Abuja system of budgetary allocations and that brings us Back to Abia State.
The Abia State Geometric Power promises a 24/7 power supply in its first phase beginning from the 9 LGA’s within the Aba region, this is not a political statement, Gas supply will be provided directly from one of the LG’s among the 9 beneficiaries of the first phase.
This is a homemade business of power supply and all the stakeholders including the executive governor, a former investment banker are on this for business with no political manipulation to score vain campaign rhetoric.
What does this mean if you ask me; only the man with foresight and a clear vision will see that Abia is positioned to revolutionize the long anticipated South East developmental template while at the Abuja red chambers, those selected to discuss the failing Nigeria’s power supply situation is engrossed in the politics of budget padding and using the heads of its poor and struggling young population to crack coconut. Nothing will come out from all the vain promises of electricity without dealing with the roots cause.
The new Abia and its leaders understand the root cause of nation building and have made it a priority to live by their words; that is integrity and evidence of responsible leadership. This is what characters in the leadership of Labour party represents, discipline and goal oriented focus to walk away from the sordid past of a history of irresponsible political leadership and administrative rascality to a bright future where every street, every road and every home in Abia state shall enjoy the benefits of a 24/7 electricity supply.
I maintain that this is not a political statement but a reality unfolding in our days and only those with foresight will take the first leap before the price of properties and real estate business in Abia hits the roof.
Njoku SaintJerry A. is the State Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Abia – He writes from Umuahia
