8February2010
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Over the past few months, volunteers have strategized and planned steps and events to take the movement closer to its avowed objectives which is to see constant electricity in Nigeria.
In order to energize and organize the campaign, has agreed on the following short, medium and long term objectives:
Overall objective of : 24/7 grid electricity available everywhere in Nigeria, Achieving sustainable development results through social communication.
Short-term Goals:
- Raising informed awareness about the issue and possible collective action.
- Building a sustainable Social movement.
- Starting a national dialogue on the power issue
Medium-term #LightUpNigeria Goals:
- Sustaining the national dialogue
- Reaching out to grassroots organization and enlisting their support
- Making the power problem a recognized election issue for the 2011 elections
Long – term #LightUpNigeria Goals:
- Providing a veritable precedent for achieving development using effective social communication
- Creating an issue driven citizen-advocacy machinery
- Creating a citizen-driven governance environment
- 24/7 electricity supply to all Nigerians
- Become an active participant for energy-related planning and development
Means by which #LightUpNigeria seeks to Achieve Constant Power Supply
- Engaging the citizens
- Getting the governance aspect right – Government accountable to citizens
- Proposing workable ideas
- Debating issues and proposals
- Supporting sustainable plans
In line with these objectives, proposes the following events and activities for 2010:
|
Q1 |
Event:
|
Objectives Addressed:
|
Date:
|
| Shooting and Release of Advocacy video |
Building a sustainable Social movement
Reaching out to grassroots
Starting a national dialogue on the power issue |
February |
| Release of Theme Song |
Building a sustainable Social movement
Reaching out to grassroots
Starting a national dialogue on the power issue |
March |
| Town Hall Meeting with NERC Officials
Lagos/Abuja |
Raise informed awareness about the issue and possible collective action. |
Third week of March |
| Roadshows/TV Ad launch |
Mobilize grassroots support
Sustain Social Movement
Raise informed awareness about the issue and possible collective action. |
Last Week of March |
| Q2 |
TownHall Meeting
Abuja/Lagos |
Sustain Social Movement
Sustaining the national dialogue
Raise informed awareness about the issue and possible collective action. |
2nd Week of April |
| Publish Government/Public Officers commitment to providing electricity survey results |
Sustaining the national dialogue on the electricity Problem
Making the power problem a recognized election issue for the 2011 elections
Creating an issue driven citizen-advocacy machinery
Creating a citizen-driven governance environment |
Last week of April |
| Open Mic Event
Lagos
(Democracy Day) |
Sustaining the national dialogue on the electricity Problem
Creating a citizen-driven governance environment |
May 29th |
| Q3
|
Music Concert
Abuja/Lagos |
Sustain Social Movement
Mobilize and sustain grassroots support
|
3rd Week of July
|
| TownHall |
Sustaining the national dialogue on the electricity Problem
Creating a citizen-driven governance environment |
Last week of August |
| Open Mic Event |
Sustaining the national dialogue on the electricity Problem |
1st week of September |
| Q4 |
March/Rally |
Sustaining the national dialogue on the electricity Problem
Making the power problem a recognized election issue for the 2011 elections
Creating an issue driven citizen-advocacy machinery |
Oct 1st |
| Roadshow/Market show
|
Sustain Grassroots Support
Making the power problem a recognized election issue for the 2011 elections
Sustain National dialog on the electricity issue.
|
Last week of November |
Get Involved!!
requires your support and participation to make these plans a success. If you have the requisite experience to contribute significantly to bringing these events to fruition, kindly contact at info@lightupnigeria.org. We will appreciate your assistance.
Particularly of interest are people with experience in organizing the following types of events in Nigeria:
- Concerts
- Marches/Rallies
- Town Hall Meetings
Additional events will be communicated via the website as and when they become possible.
We continue to appreciate your support and commitment to the cause. Lets together in 2010!!
7February2010
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Light Up Nigeria had events around the world in 2009
LightUpNigeria is a movement advocating for constant electric power to Nigerian homes and businesses. We also seek to engage citizens who’s responsibility it is not only to continue to demand a sustainable solution to the power problem but to ensure that investments in the power sector do not fall prey to sabotage or corruption.
In 2009 we all embarked on a mission to advocate for a change in government policy to increase the power input into the national grid and make a sustainable uninterrupted power supply environment available.
You made your voices heard on twitter, and on the about 30K strong facebook group. The Light Up Nigeria website has to date hundreds of registered users and we hope more people will sign up in the new year. We intend to send out regular newsletters to every member in 2010 as we continue to push for uninterrupted power.
In 2009 we recorded a few notable milestones:
- We set up our website – http://www.lightupnigeria.org
- We hosted our first town hall meeting in Abuja – Attended by 25 people.
- We were featured in an article on America.gov as a citizen-led movement with great chances of success.
- We had local press coverage of our efforts in Leadership, 234Next and Thisday (all national newspapers) as well as Silverbird Television, Nigezie and ITV.
- We had Simultaneous events in 4 cities around the world during the Nigerian Independence day period – Lagos, Abuja, Washington, London.
- Light Up Nigeria was featured on CNN as a full segment in the October edition of CNN iReport and BackStory.
- CNN created an iReport Assignment Desk for . Users and members can upload lightupnigeria related videos and pictures here: http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=344451
- Multiple radio and TV interviews
- Two nominations for the Future Awards – Team of the year and Best Use of Advocacy. Visit http://www.thefuturenigeria.com/Nominee2/ , and http://www.thefuturenigeria.com/Nominee19/ .
Once again, we say thank you to each and every person who has been part of the movement in 2009, you are appreciated. Let us all double our efforts in the New Year and continue to speak out and be heard.
5February2010
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Written by By Doris Igyor on 04/02/10
Minister of Power, Dr Lanre Babalola, has said that the major reason why the ministry did not make the required deadline of 6,000mw was largely due to the constraints of gas supply. He said that poor quality of gas, inadequate volume of gas and the vandalisation of pipelines all contributed to the inability of government to meet the deadline of December 2009.
Dr. Babalola, who was speaking at the ministerial press briefing of the ministry at the auditorium at the Presidential Villa yesterday, said that project delivery slip dates, infrastructure inadequacy, funding and operational issues were some other contributing factors.
He said that project slip date was directly responsible for government’s failure, in that the Chevron Phase 1 Pipeline, one of the major pipelines that was supposed to convey enough gas to aid distribution of 7,00mw, had been vandalized and left idle for over a year, and that the expected 6,000mw had been based on the assumption that the pipeline would be completed before the end of the year, but the delivery date of the project had slipped to February this year.
The minister also stressed that his approach to reforms in the ministry was to decentralise the approach to power through the of new small and medium hydro-electric power projects, HEPPs.
The chairman of the event, Prof. Dora Akunyili, the minister for the transparency in the session, saying this was in line with the on going rebranding campaign currently going on in the country. She also advised the minister to look closely into private sector participation as it is very important.
Read more in the Leadership Newspaper
5February2010
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Culled from an article By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Thisday Newpaper of 02/02/10
Following the gas supply crisis which has hit Nigeria’s power sector, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has shut down four of its plants, thereby reducing electricity generation to 2,700 megawatts.
Speaking at a ministerial press briefing by the Minister of Power, Dr. Lanre Babalola, yesterday in Abuja, the Managing Director of PHCN, Mr. Labo Husein, said the gas situation had become critical to the extent that most of the affected generating plants were forced to wind down operations with the attendant backlash on the available capacity to the national grid.
Husein gave the list of the affected plants to as Geregu, Sapele, Olorunsogu and Omotosho. The MD who was asked to respond to media enquiries on the state of power generation by Babalola however said the other two power stations Okpai-Agip and Afam VI operated by Agip and Shell respectively were both running at full capacity.
“PHCN total power generation as at today is 2,700mw but actual power generation capacity is now 4,000mw,” he said.
According to Husein, a lot the company’s generating facilities of had continued to remain idle due to lack of gas to power them.
Babalola, who had earlier apologised to Nigerians over the “below-target” performance recorded last year in the power sector, said the problem at improving power supply was caused by the unstable gas supply situation.
He said last year’s target of 6,000mw of electricity was made in anticipation that Chevron and PanOcean gas projects as well as gas facility being put together by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation (NPDC) would come on stream as scheduled but that the gas facilities could not be completed.
Read the rest of this article in Thisday
21December2009
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Excerpts from an article by Idris Akinbajo in 234Next of 20th December, 2009
A status report on the major power generating stations in the country, from the perspective of the managers, suggests that three major problems stand in their path to meeting the 6000MW target: inadequate equipment; gas supply challenges; and government’s lackadaisical attitude.
Below are the views of the managers and the response of the minister to their claims.
Inadequate equipment and gas supply
Kainji Dam, which has a generating target of 450MW, has been bogged down by maintenance challenges. Although, all its units have been repaired and maintained; officials still fear that “all the units are susceptible to breakdown.” The management of the station says it is “currently running each unit of the station at 55MW instead of 60MW so as not to lose the machines.” For this reason, Kainji cannot meet its target.
The Sapele power station, which has a target of 270MW that it cannot meet, shares the same fate with Kainji. This is due to “gas supply limitation” and “problem of turbine blades,” according to Chidi Ifionu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sapele power station.
The Geregu power plant which has an installed capacity of 523.5MW was allocated a target of 300MW to help realise the Yar’Adua 6000MW dream by December. However, it is only able to generate 150MW at the current review.
Read the rest of the article on 234Next
21December2009
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Excerpts from an article by Idris Akinbajo in 234Next of 21st December, 2009
Nigeria spends about N400 billion yearly to import diesel to run our homes and industries, but energy experts, some of whom work in the Ministry of Power, say the real crisis in the sector today is the N1.8 trillion loss in the nation’s annual Gross Domestic Product, as a consequence of the current energy policy presided over by Rilwan Lanre Babalola, the energy minister.
“The poorest in our community, currently pay more than N80 per kilowatt burning candles and firewood, while our manufacturers pay in excess of N60 per kilowatt on diesel generation and everyone else pays around N50 per kilowatt on self-generation” an energy expert in the Ministry of Power who spoke confidentially to NEXT in Abuja at the weekend said. Gross Domestic Product represents the total value of goods and services produced in a country over a period of time, typically a year.
Energy economists in and out of government have been speaking in muted but angry tones at the missed opportunities under the leadership of Mr. Babalola, who they worry, defines his priority in the energy sector in a rather simplistic way.
Speaking to the industry journal, Africa Oil+Gas Report, back in April this year, Mr. Babalola who holds a doctorate degree in energy economics from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, explained his priority this way: “…from a cycle perspective, first improve your infrastructure, pump money into it, but manage it such that it could at least pay for itself.” Between putting in place an ambitious and strategic energy reform agenda, and engaging in the perennial but tactical option of pumping money into infrastructure to fix assets, the minister seems to have chosen the later.
Read the rest of the article on 234Next
27October2009
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
By Michael Oluwagbemi
I have been following closely a somewhat “viral coalition” ongoing on the web, called “The Light up Nigeria Movement”. The Light up Nigerian Movement is a grassroot initiative by some young Nigerians to draw attention to the problem of lack of continuous power. The purpose of the group is to raise awareness of the problem from a global perspective through their website, “www.lightupnigeria.org”. This network is strewn across social sites like facebook, twitter and blogs. The broad strategy of the organization it appears is to raise awareness, compel action and engender mass participation to reverse the course of epileptic power supply.
As a matter of public policy however, one ponders whether it should really take a movement to bring awareness to the problem of power supply. Or would the goals of the movement be better served if it works towards innovative solutions to deal with the underlying problem.
Speaking specifically to Nigeria, the problem with the darkness that pervades our country today is not financial capital; otherwise the 400 billion naira President Obasanjo pumped into the sector under the Independent Power Projects (IPP), in the 2002-2008 timeframe, would have turned things around. The problem also is not human capital…ask thousands of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers that fix the unfixable in our moribund national grid. Perhaps the culprit is the apparent lack of political will. The lack of collective will to get anything done, absent mindless corruption, indiscipline and costly project errors getting in the way are simply lacking in Nigeria!
Provision of energy- which could range from building dams, to commissioning power stations and injecting juice into the grid is one of those truly epochal engineering feats that define the strength of the soul of a nation. There is something both physical and metaphysical about nations implementing truly mega-projects. It speaks to strength of spirit a nation engenders towards achieving a common goal.
Hence our inability to turnaround our power supply fortunes speaks to the broken Nigerian soul. Perhaps, it is of consequence that the manifestation of regular power outage in modern societies coincides with their predictable decline. The rolling black outs of the late 90s in California preceded the severe budget crisis, and weak economy that pervades that state today. Ghana had two decades of incessant power losses in the 60s until the early 80s that coincided with the rubbishing of the great legacy of that nation and her founders. The return of power to Ghana in the early 90s, under Jerry Rawlings’ leadership, perhaps was an outward revelation of the restoration of the pride and confidence of a people; albeit much misconstrued.
Another notable example is Kenya; today she is in the throes of power losses that coincide with the unraveling of the cohesive strength of that nation which marked her founding. Speaking of Nigeria, the 80s and its rolling black outs were a reflection of worse things to come. The seeming intractable “normalcy of that anomaly” put Nigeria decidedly in an unusual league of nations that are seemingly cursed with darkness of spirit that bears darkness of streets.
Even then, the completion of Kainji Dam by Nigeria in the 70s reflected the optimism and newness of spirit of the oil boom era no matter how short-lived that might have been. Contrast that with the unproductive partnership with the World Bank on the Ogunpa channelization project with no end in sight; that project started while I was barely crawling and it will remain in that state in so far as corruption, inefficiency and despondence cripples the soul of Nigerians!
The United States marked its resolute return from the manic depression of economic meltdown in the late 20s and early 30s by proving that this beautiful nation can supply its own power, build the foundations of a new industrial economy and herald a new age of military prowess. In building the Hoover Dam, America reflected a newness of spirit and confidence heading into the Great War. As she diverted Lake Mead, drilled through rocks and converted a seeming liability- a lake that flooded- into the engine of growth for the next 50 years. Completed two years ahead of schedule, and below budget, it took 114 lives and millions more in concrete earth movers and mountain scalers to construct. Only a group of people with a “can-do” spirit will be in any position to achieve this feat in the midst of the greatest economic crisis known to modern man! Where is our can-do spirit?
On the other end of the world, the majestic Three Gorges Dam and China’s ability to commission one new power station every week has put that nation on the verge of becoming the second pole in a bipolar world. It is inevitable, and if America wants to confirm the newness of this Obama era then green power that robustly challenges the notion of a bygone American century is necessary. Whether this America possesses this new spirit is yet to be seen; time will tell.
Our broken spirit (manifested best in our misplaced priorities, and cheer cynical approach to public policy) is confirmed daily by our inability to solve simple problems. Our love for watching soccer on our television sets for example, has not pushed us far enough in the direction of providing mutual power supply to ensure that game is enjoyed by all. Instead, our broken spirit has turned us to local governments in our fenced in family compounds (or dare say I, prisons).
Slowly but surely, we live in self administered prisons (with our high walls and guard dogs), and provide our own security in form of OPC or our night guard. We supply our own water through boreholes, and dispose our own garbage. Of course, air and noise polluting generators fill our homes with despair and made our young go deaf. Evidently, cases of premature death due to carbon monoxide poisoning and explosive petrol are now old news. Our collective spirit to act has been broken beyond repair in such a manner that every family has assumed governmental responsibilities that reflect a lack of trust in us to be our neighbor’s keeper.
It is therefore necessary to perceive the push for constant power supply as one not against government policy or actions, but one for the minds and souls of ALL Nigerians. The sooner we restore the confidence of our engineers, and technologists; of our project managers, and our construction workers – the better we shall be. The first step is a conscious leadership that reflects the popular will or at least possesses some form of legitimacy and confidence boosting mandate. Otherwise, we labor in vain. May be the seeds of that government are being sown in the thousands of young minds involved in this campaign…just may be. Power forward and light up Nigeria!
I have been following closely a somewhat “viral coalition” ongoing on the web, called “The Light up Nigeria Movement”. The Light up Nigerian Movement is a grassroot initiative by some young Nigerians to draw attention to the problem of lack of continuous power. The purpose of the group is to raise awareness of the problem from a global perspective through their website, “www.lightupnigeria.org”. This network is strewn across social sites like facebook, twitter and blogs. The broad strategy of the organization it appears is to raise awareness, compel action and engender mass participation to reverse the course of epileptic power supply.
As a matter of public policy however, one ponders whether it should really take a movement to bring awareness to the problem of power supply. Or would the goals of the movement be better served if it works towards innovative solutions to deal with the underlying problem.
Speaking specifically to Nigeria, the problem with the darkness that pervades our country today is not financial capital; otherwise the 400 billion naira President Obasanjo pumped into the sector under the Independent Power Projects (IPP), in the 2002-2008 timeframe, would have turned things around. The problem also is not human capital…ask thousands of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers that fix the unfixable in our moribund national grid. Perhaps the culprit is the apparent lack of political will. The lack of collective will to get anything done, absent mindless corruption, indiscipline and costly project errors getting in the way are simply lacking in Nigeria!
Provision of energy- which could range from building dams, to commissioning power stations and injecting juice into the grid is one of those truly epochal engineering feats that define the strength of the soul of a nation. There is something both physical and metaphysical about nations implementing truly mega-projects. It speaks to strength of spirit a nation engenders towards achieving a common goal.
Hence our inability to turnaround our power supply fortunes speaks to the broken Nigerian soul. Perhaps, it is of consequence that the manifestation of regular power outage in modern societies coincides with their predictable decline. The rolling black outs of the late 90s in California preceded the severe budget crisis, and weak economy that pervades that state today. Ghana had two decades of incessant power losses in the 60s until the early 80s that coincided with the rubbishing of the great legacy of that nation and her founders. The return of power to Ghana in the early 90s, under Jerry Rawlings’ leadership, perhaps was an outward revelation of the restoration of the pride and confidence of a people; albeit much misconstrued.
Another notable example is Kenya; today she is in the throes of power losses that coincide with the unraveling of the cohesive strength of that nation which marked her founding. Speaking of Nigeria, the 80s and its rolling black outs were a reflection of worse things to come. The seeming intractable “normalcy of that anomaly” put Nigeria decidedly in an unusual league of nations that are seemingly cursed with darkness of spirit that bears darkness of streets.
Even then, the completion of Kainji Dam by Nigeria in the 70s reflected the optimism and newness of spirit of the oil boom era no matter how short-lived that might have been. Contrast that with the unproductive partnership with the World Bank on the Ogunpa channelization project with no end in sight; that project started while I was barely crawling and it will remain in that state in so far as corruption, inefficiency and despondence cripples the soul of Nigerians!
The United States marked its resolute return from the manic depression of economic meltdown in the late 20s and early 30s by proving that this beautiful nation can supply its own power, build the foundations of a new industrial economy and herald a new age of military prowess. In building the Hoover Dam, America reflected a newness of spirit and confidence heading into the Great War. As she diverted Lake Mead, drilled through rocks and converted a seeming liability- a lake that flooded- into the engine of growth for the next 50 years. Completed two years ahead of schedule, and below budget, it took 114 lives and millions more in concrete earth movers and mountain scalers to construct. Only a group of people with a “can-do” spirit will be in any position to achieve this feat in the midst of the greatest economic crisis known to modern man! Where is our can-do spirit?
On the other end of the world, the majestic Three Gorges Dam and China’s ability to commission one new power station every week has put that nation on the verge of becoming the second pole in a bipolar world. It is inevitable, and if America wants to confirm the newness of this Obama era then green power that robustly challenges the notion of a bygone American century is necessary. Whether this America possesses this new spirit is yet to be seen; time will tell.
Our broken spirit (manifested best in our misplaced priorities, and cheer cynical approach to public policy) is confirmed daily by our inability to solve simple problems. Our love for watching soccer on our television sets for example, has not pushed us far enough in the direction of providing mutual power supply to ensure that game is enjoyed by all. Instead, our broken spirit has turned us to local governments in our fenced in family compounds (or dare say I, prisons).
Slowly but surely, we live in self administered prisons (with our high walls and guard dogs), and provide our own security in form of OPC or our night guard. We supply our own water through boreholes, and dispose our own garbage. Of course, air and noise polluting generators fill our homes with despair and made our young go deaf. Evidently, cases of premature death due to carbon monoxide poisoning and explosive petrol are now old news. Our collective spirit to act has been broken beyond repair in such a manner that every family has assumed governmental responsibilities that reflect a lack of trust in us to be our neighbor’s keeper.
It is therefore necessary to perceive the push for constant power supply as one not against government policy or actions, but one for the minds and souls of ALL Nigerians. The sooner we restore the confidence of our engineers, and technologists; of our project managers, and our construction workers – the better we shall be. The first step is a conscious leadership that reflects the popular will or at least possesses some form of legitimacy and confidence boosting mandate. Otherwise, we labor in vain. May be the seeds of that government are being sown in the thousands of young minds involved in this campaign…just may be. Power forward and light up Nigeria!
23October2009
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
Another “Failed States Index” report from Fund For Peace was released a few weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, Nigeria was present in the list of the world’s failed states. Ranking 15th, Nigeria is listed amongst countries who are either at war or under tight military or civilian dictatorship. The first time the report was released with Nigeria among the list of failed states, I thought to myself: “westerners are at their gimmicks again”. After going through the criteria used in determining the countries that made the list, I couldn’t help agreeing since Nigeria met all the criteria, unfortunately. A nation powered by generators is without doubt a failed state.
One thing you cannot miss on your visit to Nigeria is the presence of varying sizes of power generators. From the micro-sizes used by road-side barbering salons to the giant power plants used by factories, generators play a vital role in the daily lives of people in Nigeria. This is because the state-owned power generation/distributing company, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), is very useless. The little power they generate is haphazardly distributed across the nation to those who are unfortunate enough to be connected to the national grid.
The core of the matter is simple: Nigeria’s power generation is less then a quarter of its electricity needs. Even the little generated is not shared by a timetable. No. The power company switches off/on the power without warning, several times everyday. I am yet to decipher the exact reason behind this chaos.
It is no better in any part of Nigeria. The last time I visited the national capital Abuja was June 2008. I had been under the illusion that power supply would be somewhat better in Abuja. I was very wrong! The number of generators running around the business centres I visited was enough proof. I enquired from residents who told me power supply was just as bad as it is elsewhere in Nigeria. It gets worse to know that some areas in Nigeria go without power for weeks. Emergency institutions like the Police, hospitals, fire service etc do not receive any priority. Even the seat of government is not spared. The Presidency shamelessly included cost of acquiring & maintenance power generators in their 2009 budget proposal – a clear admittance of failure!
On a lighter note, when NigComSat-1 (Nigeria’s first communications satellite) was forcibly shut-down and “parked” somewhere in space due to battery problems, I concluded that Nigeria has been cursed with power problems.
The negative effects of the poor power supply are countless:
Poor lighting on roads at night resulting in poor visibility for drivers and pedestrians. The danger is obvious.
Lack of lighting for residences, shops and offices at night emboldens petty thieves as they hide under the cover of darkness to perpetrate their evil trade. Armed robbers (older cousins of petty thieves) in Nigeria are far too bold to be deterred by light. Some rob in day time!
Businesses that rely on electricity for production are forced to offer their goods and services at higher rates as they have to pass-on the cost of buying a power generator, fuel and other associated costs. Such businesses by default cannot compete effectively with foreign companies that export goods & services to Nigeria. Some factories are already relocating to neighbouring countries as Nigeria is getting too unfavourable for their respective businesses.
Many lose their lives in hospital as there is insufficient electricity to power machines used in performing surgical operations and even critical life support systems are rendered useless.
Traffic in heavily populated cities is chaotic as traffic lights (where they exist) are dead and a human being (traffic warden) has to stand in the very hot sun to control traffic. Chaos rules after 6pm as these traffic wardens “close” in some parts of Nigeria. They simply abandon the motorists to their fate. I have witnessed this madness at Iwo Road in Ibadan before.
Power generators have killed thousands of Nigerians over the years. Out of ignorance, some leave the generators in an enclosed area. A fatal dosage of Carbon Monoxide gas (part of the fumes from the generators’ exhaust pipe) soon sends them to the world beyond.
All electronic gadgets are powered by electricity. How Nigeria can compete in a global village powered by computers and communication networks is obvious to all.
The list is by no means exhaustive but contains only a few of the negative effects that come to mind at the time of writing.
It is against this back-drop that I join the voice of Nigerians to demand that the President of Nigeria fixes the power problem. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, you should consider reducing your “seven-point agenda” to just one: Let there be light!
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN at lightupnigeria.org
By David Ajao
Another “Failed States Index” report from Fund For Peace was released a few weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, Nigeria was present in the list of the world’s failed states. Ranking 15th, Nigeria is listed amongst countries who are either at war or under tight military or civilian dictatorship. The first time the report was released with Nigeria among the list of failed states, I thought to myself: “westerners are at their gimmicks again”. After going through the criteria used in determining the countries that made the list, I couldn’t help agreeing since Nigeria met all the criteria, unfortunately. A nation powered by generators is without doubt a failed state.
One thing you cannot miss on your visit to Nigeria is the presence of varying sizes of power generators. From the micro-sizes used by road-side barbering salons to the giant power plants used by factories, generators play a vital role in the daily lives of people in Nigeria. This is because the state-owned power generation/distributing company, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), is very useless. The little power they generate is haphazardly distributed across the nation to those who are unfortunate enough to be connected to the national grid.
The core of the matter is simple: Nigeria’s power generation is less then a quarter of its electricity needs. Even the little generated is not shared by a timetable. No. The power company switches off/on the power without warning, several times everyday. I am yet to decipher the exact reason behind this chaos.
It is no better in any part of Nigeria. The last time I visited the national capital Abuja was June 2008. I had been under the illusion that power supply would be somewhat better in Abuja. I was very wrong! The number of generators running around the business centres I visited was enough proof. I enquired from residents who told me power supply was just as bad as it is elsewhere in Nigeria. It gets worse to know that some areas in Nigeria go without power for weeks. Emergency institutions like the Police, hospitals, fire service etc do not receive any priority. Even the seat of government is not spared. The Presidency shamelessly included cost of acquiring & maintenance power generators in their 2009 budget proposal – a clear admittance of failure!
On a lighter note, when NigComSat-1 (Nigeria’s first communications satellite) was forcibly shut-down and “parked” somewhere in space due to battery problems, I concluded that Nigeria has been cursed with power problems.
The negative effects of the poor power supply are countless:
- Poor lighting on roads at night resulting in poor visibility for drivers and pedestrians. The danger is obvious.
- Lack of lighting for residences, shops and offices at night emboldens petty thieves as they hide under the cover of darkness to perpetrate their evil trade. Armed robbers (older cousins of petty thieves) in Nigeria are far too bold to be deterred by light. Some rob in day time!
- Businesses that rely on electricity for production are forced to offer their goods and services at higher rates as they have to pass-on the cost of buying a power generator, fuel and other associated costs. Such businesses by default cannot compete effectively with foreign companies that export goods & services to Nigeria. Some factories are already relocating to neighbouring countries as Nigeria is getting too unfavourable for their respective businesses.
- Many lose their lives in hospital as there is insufficient electricity to power machines used in performing surgical operations and even critical life support systems are rendered useless.
- Traffic in heavily populated cities is chaotic as traffic lights (where they exist) are dead and a human being (traffic warden) has to stand in the very hot sun to control traffic. Chaos rules after 6pm as these traffic wardens “close” in some parts of Nigeria. They simply abandon the motorists to their fate. I have witnessed this madness at Iwo Road in Ibadan before.
- Power generators have killed thousands of Nigerians over the years. Out of ignorance, some leave the generators in an enclosed area. A fatal dosage of Carbon Monoxide gas (part of the fumes from the generators’ exhaust pipe) soon sends them to the world beyond.
- All electronic gadgets are powered by electricity. How Nigeria can compete in a global village powered by computers and communication networks is obvious to all.
- The list is by no means exhaustive but contains only a few of the negative effects that come to mind at the time of writing.
It is against this back-drop that I join the voice of Nigerians to demand that the President of Nigeria fixes the power problem. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, you should consider reducing your “seven-point agenda” to just one: Let there be light!
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN at lightupnigeria.org
22October2009
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized.
“The power of one man or one woman doing the right thing for the right reason, and at the right time, is the greatest influence in our society.”
—Jack Kemp
The Robbery that did not Succeed
About 15 years ago, in the old commercial city of Aba, about 5 robbers attempted to rob a bank. There was nothing special about this robbery, it was the old routine: Young men armed to the teeth storm a vulnerable financial institution, they show their guns, beat a few people up and clean up the safe. It had happened so many times before. Matter of fact, absurd to say, but people had actually gotten used to it.
So as was usually the case, 4 of the young men stormed into the bank to do the job, whilst the 5th man, engines running, manned the get-away car.
But that day was to be different.
The bank being robbed happened to be very close to one of the major markets in the city. As news of the on-going robbery spread, traders began to quickly lock up their stalls in panic.
But one man saw things differently. As he looked at the get-away car humming in the distance, he sensed a weakness and an opportunity. He realized that if he could organize the market into a sizeable mob, maybe there was a chance to foil this robbery. So he organized a few people and they gingerly took a few steps closer to the get-away car… jeering softly at the lone robber anxiously waiting in the car.
As the jeering continued, it grew louder and more united as more people began to sense the opportunity and joined the throng – one trader at a time – until the few became a sizable mob. It didn’t take long before the get-away car driver, who had been shooting anxious glances over his shoulder, began to panic. The situation was getting out of hand.
What happened next was unexpected. The driver of the get-away car threw it into gear and drove off, with his robber colleagues still in the bank! A few traders got into their cars and followed in pursuit, but the mob outside the bank continued to grow as the people sensed that the day of reckoning for the robbers had arrived. The jeering had now turned into chanting and the war songs from the “Enyimba” throng began to resonate through the entire market.
It wasn’t long before the four robbers emerged from the bank with a sum of about N8.5million naira in tow. However, to their shock, they were greeted by an innumerable mob of angry traders wielding all kinds of crude weapons and hurling stones. No get away driver. The disoriented robbers, sensing that the game was up, began shooting in the air erratically. But the crowd only drew closer. Slowly and steadily cornering the criminals like a cat corners rats.
The robbers were subdued and lynched. All of them – even the man in the get-away didn’t get away.
One man was at the right place at the right time and he did the right things. As a result, a robbery was foiled and a lesson was learnt.
You are one person, but you can make a difference. You can lead others to unite their efforts with yours as we rebuild Nigeria. This is the right time. is the right thing. You can be the right person.
This is the generation that will re-define Nigeria. One candle can light a thousand without losing of its own brightness. Will that candle be you?By Amara Nwankpa
By Amara Nwankpa
“The power of one man or one woman doing the right thing for the right reason, and at the right time, is the greatest influence in our society.”
—Jack Kemp
The Robbery that did not Succeed
About 15 years ago, in the old commercial city of Aba, about 5 robbers attempted to rob a bank. There was nothing special about this robbery, it was the old routine: Young men armed to the teeth storm a vulnerable financial institution, they show their guns, beat a few people up and clean up the safe. It had happened so many times before. Matter of fact, absurd to say, but people had actually gotten used to it.
So as was usually the case, 4 of the young men stormed into the bank to do the job, whilst the 5th man, engines running, manned the get-away car.
But that day was to be different.
The bank being robbed happened to be very close to one of the major markets in the city. As news of the on-going robbery spread, traders began to quickly lock up their stalls in panic.
But one man saw things differently. As he looked at the get-away car humming in the distance, he sensed a weakness and an opportunity. He realized that if he could organize the market into a sizeable mob, maybe there was a chance to foil this robbery. So he organized a few people and they gingerly took a few steps closer to the get-away car… jeering softly at the lone robber anxiously waiting in the car.
As the jeering continued, it grew louder and more united as more people began to sense the opportunity and joined the throng – one trader at a time – until the few became a sizable mob. It didn’t take long before the get-away car driver, who had been shooting anxious glances over his shoulder, began to panic. The situation was getting out of hand.
What happened next was unexpected. The driver of the get-away car threw it into gear and drove off, with his robber colleagues still in the bank! A few traders got into their cars and followed in pursuit, but the mob outside the bank continued to grow as the people sensed that the day of reckoning for the robbers had arrived. The jeering had now turned into chanting and the war songs from the “Enyimba” throng began to resonate through the entire market.
It wasn’t long before the four robbers emerged from the bank with a sum of about N8.5million naira in tow. However, to their shock, they were greeted by an innumerable mob of angry traders wielding all kinds of crude weapons and hurling stones. No get away driver. The disoriented robbers, sensing that the game was up, began shooting in the air erratically. But the crowd only drew closer. Slowly and steadily cornering the criminals like a cat corners rats.
The robbers were subdued and lynched. All of them – even the man in the get-away didn’t get away.
One man was at the right place at the right time and he did the right things. As a result, a robbery was foiled and a lesson was learnt.
You are one person, but you can make a difference. You can lead others to unite their efforts with yours as we rebuild Nigeria. This is the right time. is the right thing. You can be the right person.
This is the generation that will re-define Nigeria. One candle can light a thousand without losing of its own brightness. Will that candle be you?
This famous photo, taken on 5 June 1989 by photographer Jeff Widener, depicts an unknown man halting the PLA's advancing tanks near Tiananmen Square. It has become a symbol of how one man's action can have a significantly disproportional impact
