Generator dealers’ll soon run out of business – FG

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo
| credits: File copy

The Federal Government on Tuesday said generator dealers cashing in on the nation’s current power supply challenges, would be out of business in a couple of months.

According to the government, the gas supply constraint that has plagued the power sector lately and has caused epileptic electricity supply to many parts of the country will be resolved in less than two weeks.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, refuted the claim that generator importers were partly responsible for unstable power supply nationwide.

Nebo, who spoke with our correspondent at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja, admitted that the country had experienced poor electricity supply lately.

He, however, maintained that the government’s target of getting sustainable power by midyear was binding.

Asked if the generator dealers had influence on the power supply situation, the minister said, “I don’t think so. But the fact is that people need to take care of themselves because if there is not enough power supply, everybody becomes his or her independent power producer.

“And so, everybody now becomes a power supplier and that is because there is not enough power in the country coming from the mains. So, I don’t think that they (generator dealers) are the cause per say. I only think that people have to use defensive mechanisms to defend themselves.

“But it is also likely that as power gets more abundant and reaches more people, there will be a problem for the generator dealers because they will be out of business. Let me assure Nigerians, because I’ve met with the generator companies and importers to look for a better business, they will be out of business.”

Nebo explained that the Federal Government had met with some of the generator dealers and had advised them to consider other business options.

He added, “If everything Mr. President, the Power ministry and the power sector are working on comes to be, Nigerians will not need generators any more.