The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that a staggering 60 percent of metered customers in the country are bypassing their meters.
Ali Ahmad, the General Manager of TCN, shared this concerning information during the National Institute of Physics' webinar series 2.0, themed "Policy, Regulatory, and Technical Constraints in Achieving Energy Security in Nigeria: The Way Forward."
Ahmad highlighted the stark reality that out of an estimated population of 230 million people, only 13,112,134 Nigerians are officially registered to use electricity. Furthermore, he emphasized that merely 44.23 percent of this registered customer base, totaling 13.11 million individuals, possess meters, underscoring the limited coverage of metering across the nation.
With a population of 230 million, Ahmad pointed out that only a meager 2.52 percent have been successfully metered. This alarming rate of meter bypassing contributes significantly to Nigeria's energy poverty, exacerbating the existing challenges in achieving energy security for the nation.
Energy security, as defined by Ahmad, involves having a reliable and affordable energy source. On the other hand, energy poverty refers to the lack of access to high-quality, affordable, and dependable energy. Ahmad stressed the importance of achieving energy sovereignty and independence for a country to be truly independent politically and economically in the 21st century.
Highlighting the energy poverty scenarios in Nigeria, Ahmad identified four types: the unserved, the underserved, poor quality of supply, and the served. He emphasized that energy security is fundamental for sustainable development and asserted that achieving it should leave no citizen behind.
Delving into the root causes of Nigeria's energy vulnerability, Ahmad cited factors such as heavy reliance on gas, which limits diversification, insufficient production capacity leading to dependence on imports, and the unreliability and high cost of gas supply, further hindering energy security. The situation demands comprehensive and strategic measures to address the multifaceted challenges and pave the way for a more secure energy future in Nigeria.
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