Posts

The Nigerian government decision to connect Chad to its national grid: How, Why and When

Image
 In the face of power generation falling from 3,776.5MW to 3,474.5MW in October and at least 11 power plants across the country remaining idle, Nigeria takes its next big step into electricity supply; The connection of neighboring country, Chad to the national grid. Now, I don't want to be the one to point out that we have a bad track record when it comes to international deals with our country being on the losing end sometimes (China...), but I decided to give this one a chance and check out why it was even worth considering and if it was is, in fact, possible to do. What I discovered might surprise you. WHY? This part was pretty easy because Chad kick-started it like any civilized person in need would - they asked. Beyond this though, we have to come to terms with the current circumstances of Chad electricity . According to USAID Power Africa, the country's biggest energy issues are lack of access to Financing, lack of creditworthiness of utilities, Insecurity, and poor gover...

Renewable energy and the federal ministry of power; Improving access by consumers to hydropower

Image
 I will always be a firm believer in the notion that Nigeria's problems can be summarised into just two; Corruption, which is an embedded problem that will require surgery, and lack of electricity (You're welcome to change my mind and drop your take in the comment section). On the latter problem, hydropower will go a long way to solving it but how can we guarantee our access? Let's find out. In the previous post , we looked at how the federal ministry of power has handled the task of power generation and we concluded it's been a piss poor job (You can read that post here). Sometimes, I ask myself if those in charge know what they're doing but it would seem that when you and those around you are equipped with Inverters, soundproof generators, and mini-transformers, the darkness doesn't touch you. Anyway, I digress... Hydropower is a really big deal in the world. It's a steady source of electricity that is ready to keep going as long as there's water on th...

Renewable energy and the federal ministry of power; A closer look at hydropower and the role of renewable energy in Nigeria

Image
  Damn. This country is blessed. Before you say anything, I know you've heard that a lot and it makes you wonder how badly we've mismanaged our resources. You could say with all we have, it's a mystery that renewable energy in Nigeria hasn't become a problem of the past but hey, I guess it's Africa, right? Wrong.  There are many factors we could hold accountable for our current situation (Lord Lugard, I see you) but I'd rather not dwell on issues that we can't go back in time to fix. Rather, let's talk about what we have at the moment and how to make it better. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's talk Renewable Energy and the Federal Ministry of Power. Now, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of power is responsible for the sustained provision of power (electricity) for the entire nation. That's pretty basic stuff you can find on the first page of the internet but our interest is in the renewable energy aspect of their job with a closer look at the one we have...

HOW TO GET THROUGH MONDAY

Image
Many times I find myself asking the same question; why does Monday exist? for whose pleasure?  It's hard to believe that when Emperor Constantine and the Romans decided that Monday, a day named after the moon would begin the week, they imagined it would also come with feelings of dread and drained energy. These issues that Monday bring can be either be external (someone annoys you) or internal (you woke up feeling exhausted). On some occasions, you find any reason you can link to the feeling of distaste and rage that is welling up in you. I'm no psychiatrist but I'll call this " The Monday rage". It's a phase of constant fluctuation between anger and frustration that will no doubt affect those around you negatively. There are a couple of ways to deal with this feeling and get peace of mind; 1. Brace Yourself - Never go into Monday with an oblivious attitude. What you can do is pray, make your plans, and also make contingency plans. This makes sure everything i...

Article that the sound of generator won’t let you enjoy

Image
  Dear reader, happy new month. I wish you 30 days of glad tidings and good will. With 3 more months to the end of the year, we can look back at all we had to endure and smile at the fact that it could be a lot worse. Somethings however can’t get any worse and there’s a pioneer member of that category; The Nigerian power sector . Nowadays, you know it’s a national public holiday when there’s a news publication. Do you know what I look out for? My state electricity distribution company, PHED, giving us “light” for more than 6 hours in the day time. It might sound funny to you but that’s the highlight of that day for me; A period of electricity that I can use for more than just sleeping with fan blowing while charging phone and laptop. One look at the power sector and you can tell we deserve so much more. Why should the fact that “Nepa brought light” be a source of joy?   It shouldn’t be able to go anywhere in the first place. It doesn’t have legs na (ah ah). To be hones...

How to know a great series

Image
I like to think I’m a fair person so here is a disclaimer; this article will break your heart but you’ll thank me at the end. Additionally, this is not a professional expose like the last work so sit back and enjoy the show. I’ve always wanted to slam La Casa De Papel alias Money Heist but it’s been hard. It is practically impossible to dissect a series that is loved the world over even when the actors are speaking a foreign language. I had almost given up until I found a series with equal appeal and a similar story line; Prison Break. Seeing the show again brought back memories and I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to pit both shows against each other to see how they measured up. After careful analysis (lots of episode watching into the early hours of the morning), these were the results; ·          Better story-line: Prison Break I’m a sucker for suspense in movies but money heist took too long to let us catch on. Sure, a lot happe...

POWER GENERATION; AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE 2

Image
Truth be told, PHED have been doing well over here and I almost forgot what it was like to stay in darkness for weeks on end. Almost… There is just that “something” in the average Nigerian that causes an overlook of past worries and the desire to enjoy immediate pleasures. Sure, it has its benefits as we have a low suicide rate but it also makes us complacent. Small flex and we’ve forgiven our government all its faults. Alas, here ends my political ranting but I will come back to this. The issue that brought me here needs no explanation on my part. If you woke up with light (not generator o) at home this morning, you’re one of the lucky ones. When you consider that an estimated 20 million households in Nigeria are without power, it humbles you and your complaints get fewer. I don’t need to bore you with the facts; ·          How the country is blessed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resources ·       ...