Nigeria pleads AfDB support in expanding power distribution network

African Development Bank (AfDB) Headquarters Source: Reuters

As the nation continues to grapple with epileptic electricity supply, the Federal Government has made passionate appeal to the management of African Development Bank, AfDB, to assist in expanding its power distribution network.

The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri made the appeal at a meeting between officials of the Ministry and AfDB in Abuja.

The minister noted that with support of the AfDB and other development partners, generation and transmission capacities in the country has increased to an all-time high of 7,001MW and 6, 800MW respectively.

Shehuri, therefore, added that the only area that needs more attention from the Development Partners is that of expansion of distribution network.

The minister also solicited for more support from development partners in the areas of technical and financial assistance to help the ministry fully implement the Power Sector Recovery Plan, PSRP, initiatives.

He disclosed that the crux of the meeting was to appraise progress made on the implementation of the PSRP embarked upon by the ministry as an integral part of the Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, NERG.

Shehuri lamented the challenge being faced by the sector as that of strengthening the distribution infrastructure within the electricity value-chain in order to make it perform optimally.

The Minister commended the AfDB, while assuring them of Federal Government’s co-operation on the full implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Plan (PSRP).

Earlier on, the leader of the delegation from the AfDB and Chief Evaluation Officer, Penelope Jackson, said the objectives of the meeting with the ministry was to assess the level of achievement so far recorded in the implementation of the PSRP, which the Bank supports.

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