The inaugural meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Power Sector Working Group, led by the Ministry of Power, aimed to address cross-sector issues crucial for providing reliable and sustainable electricity access in Nigeria. The working group, which includes critical stakeholders from various sectors, is set to meet quarterly.

Key Issues Discussed:

1. Governance Challenges: Addressing governance issues within the power sector to improve efficiency and accountability.
2. Energy and Resource Planning: The importance of integrated resource planning was highlighted, with discussions on the current capacity and future needs of Nigeria’s power generation.
3. Legislation and Policy: The need for supportive legislation to ensure a robust power sector, emphasising the sector’s significance as a driver of economic growth.
4. Current Performance and Goals:Notable achievements include reaching 5,100 MW, a 25% increase in power generation, with a target of 6,000 MW by December. The focus is not only on generation but also on enhancing distribution to ensure that households and businesses benefit from the increased capacity.
5. Gas Supply Issues:Since 75% of power generation relies on gas, the group discussed the need to ensure adequate gas supply, both in quality and quantity. Suggestions included denominating gas sales in Naira instead of dollars and introducing more flexible payment plans for gas supplies.
6. Collaborative Efforts:The Minister of Environment and other key stakeholders are working together on a National Integrated Resource Plan to optimise power generation and distribution.

The meeting concluded with a call for more deliberate policies to exploit non-associated gas resources in Nigeria and the establishment of a technical committee to address gas supply issues. The Presidential Metering Initiative’s presentation underscored the importance of capacity building and training in achieving these goals.