Photo: Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing
As the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing strives to improve the country’s power supply, it is also making budgetary proposals for the purchase, maintenance and fueling of generators at its headquarters and various agencies.
An analysis of the 2019 budget proposal of the FMPWH that was recently submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly showed that the ministry and its agencies had proposed to spend ₦167.96 million this year on the purchase, maintenance and fueling of generators and plants.
Nigeria currently generates and distributes an average of 4,000 megawatts of electricity and the sector is still suffering from a serious liquidity crisis despite being privatised since November 1, 2013.
The 2019 budget proposal revealed that at the headquarters of the power ministry, a total sum of ₦26.6 million was budgeted for maintenance of plants and generators, while plants and generators’ fuel cost was put at ₦16.3 million.
The FMPWH headquarters also made a budget proposal of ₦50 million for the purchase of generators.
The National Rural Electrification Agency proposed to spend ₦488, 000 on the maintenance of plants and generators, while ₦1.55 million was budgeted as fuel cost for its plants and generators.
In its 2019 budget proposal, the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency’s headquarters proposed to spend ₦2 million on maintenance of plants and generators. It plans to spend ₦4 million to fuel the plants and generators in 2019.
The National Power Training Institute made a proposal of ₦1.5 million for the maintenance of plants and generators and intends to spend another ₦1.5 million for the fueling of the equipment.
The Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Limited proposed ₦2.3 million and ₦3.31 million for the maintenance and fuel cost of plants and generators respectively, while the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, under the works arm of the FMPWH, proposed ₦3.1 million and ₦5.84 million for the maintenance and fueling of its plants and generators in the 2019 fiscal year.
The Federal School of Survey, Uyo, only budgeted for the maintenance of generators and plants at a cost of ₦1 million, while the Federal Road Maintenance Agency’s proposal for maintenance of plants and generators and fuel cost were put at ₦1.62 million and ₦10.59 million respectively.