Electricity: Importance and Its challenges in Nigeria

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Electricity is very important in homes, industries and offices. Almost every appliance make good use of it for their usage. It ranged from the smaller to the largest gadgets around us and their work improves our life and economy. For instance, there are large number of industrial sewing machines in texile mills likewise other machine around that depend on electricity to function and their role can dictate the overall wellbeing of the workers and prices of their wares.

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Despite all these importance of electricity, there are many challenges facing that sector in Nigeria. These challenges resulted in low output of electricity which is below the overall need around Nigeria. No place in Nigeria can boast of 24 hourly power supply and cannot even be of high voltage when supply due to old, poor power infrastuctures and technical glitches on the power grids in the nations.

Nigeria have became a fertile ground for business for importers and foreign partners. There is many number of generation set in Nigeria more than number of people in many countries and their activities affects the power generation in nigeria as they keep "bribing" The agencies so that their busineses will keep thriving.

Nigeria, The giant of Africa is blessed with huge natural and human resources. Being one of the major producer of natural gas and crude oil with many barrels of sweet and carbon grade petroluem, Nigeria is blessed and issues of power generation supposed not to be mentioned or a challenge in Nigerian economic sphere.

Nigeria being in the equatorial zone recieve sunlight daily and having very near proximity to the largest desert in the world, Sahara Desert, makes the position of the nation suitable for power generation via renewable electric sources like solar means which will be enough for the demand all year around and can be exported as a foreign exchange and inmprovement of the economy and betterment of her citizen.

In the relief map of the nation, the lands are usually high with elevation of 300ft above the sea level, with this altitude and other factors, Nigeria is blessed with sites for power generation via wind as its in constant motion around. But never been utilized to improve the total power output to meet the overall demands of powers in homes and offices around the nations.

There are notable power generating sources in Nigeria which can be categorized into two. Hydrological and thermal sources. There are major rivers like Niger, Benue, Kaduna etc with huge platforms and features for hydroelectric dams to utilize its potential for power generations. Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba dam are examples of such dams where nigerian and other africans depend for electricity but have been challenged. For instance, Kainji dam have five super turbines with only two working which leads to under utilization of its potential to power nigerian homes.

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The electricity bill is generally high and costy in Nigeria despites governmental approaches to reduce the money pay for the energy. In the calculation per second, it is higher than $100. Which is a low in other areas. Despite these high bill, Nigerians still not enjoyed for the paid services.

Government categorized the electricity sector into parts to promote their perfomance. Government of various level still hold the production but privatizes the distribution aspects into several companies owned by elites both Nigerians and foreigners. Rather than becoming a blessing, these companies did not lived up to their objectives but became a pain in ass for the citizens as their bills are higher and low voltage. They use "thugs" To collect their revenue and such money are not remitted and affecting the services too.