Nigerian govt mentions low water in hydro stations as cause of crippling power outage

The Federal Government on Thursday blamed low water level in the hydro power stations for the current power outage in Nigeria.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, stated this during the weekly State House ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team.

He said: “With the reduction in water levels at the hydro power stations during the dry season, the need for additional load to be taken up by gas plants and the challenges in repairs currently being done on generators are responsible for the load shedding and power outages.”

Aliyu assured Nigerians that the government was doing everything to ensure optimum supply of gas to ensure quick restoration of power in the country.

READ ALSO: Gas shortage down power generation by 16MW

The minister, who spoke on the Presidential Power Initiative and other initiatives in the power sector, maintained that the issue of right of way was stalling the projects.

“We are engaging with state governors through the Nigerian Governors Forum to drive a holistic solution to these lingering issues.

“Critical projects held up by right of way are the Benin to Osogbo 330 KV line which is 250 kilometres long and the Ikot Ekpene to Ikot Abasi also 330 KV line, which is 68 kilometres long.

“Another is the Kano-Katsina 330 KV line, also 180 kilometres long,’’ the minister added.

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