Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in Nigeria have called for creation of enabling environment to ensure cost recovery and further drive investments in the nation’s power sector.
The Chief Executive Officer, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) umbrella body of DisCos, Azu Obiaya made the call at a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) seminar in Abuja on Tuesday.
The seminar had representatives of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Generation Companies (GenCos) and multilateral institutions.
The DisCos had been directed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to submit their PIP which would be a key input for major review of electricity tariff – the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2020 expected to take off by January.
The Head of Trade and Economic Section of the European Union (EU) Delegation, Filippo Amato, said the programme was designed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and financed by the EU, adding that PIP programme valued at 2.3million euros (about N929.5 million) was being implemented by ANED with technical support from AF Mercados.
Amato said that recently the average operational capacity of the grid hovers around 4,500 MegaWatts (MW) and 5,500MW and ,cannot meet the needs of a growing population and industrial users.
However, Obiaya said the DisCos were not against re-capitalisation as being speculated in some quarters.
(NAN)