AKWA IBOM AND ENERGY CHALLENGE

Despite regulatory constraints, the state is pushing through some energy reforms and making life better for the people, writes Anthony Effiong

Stable and steady power supply is the seal of a developed economy. Any nation whose energy need is epileptic in supply, delays her development and risks losing potential investors. The energy sector in Nigeria has had to contend with internal and external hostilities and constraints such as poor funding, corruption, excessive control by the federal government, vandalism of its equipment by hoodlums, fraud, poor maintenance, erosion and debts.

So, what is basically needed are innovative ideas and competent people who will handle the energy needs of the country. Since electricity is the bedrock of socio-economic development of any nation, any responsive administration will prioritise it.

Speaking at his inauguration for a second term in office, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State could afford to beat his chest as many of his efforts in providing energy for his people have started to pay off.

The power sector in Akwa Ibom, according to him, was deliberately given priority in the first term. His exact words: “We have constructed and remodelled a number of sub-stations and work is at advanced stage of completion at the sub-station in Ekim, Mkpat-Enin. I have always emphasised that the provision of regular electricity is not rocket science. In spite of regulatory challenges, we have improved the power supply in our state and linked places in Eastern Obolo and Mbo with electricity. Today, some parts of our state now enjoy up to 18 hours of uninterrupted electricity and we are rearing to do more!”

In fact, power has received much efforts and resources from the state government even though power remains on exclusive list in Nigeria, thus placing federal government and its agencies in near total control. Inadequate power has been the bane of the economy since Nigeria’s independence as successive governments have tried to address the issue without success yet.

Any state government that wants to thrive especially as an industrial entity will need to surmount many bottlenecks and confront head on the challenges of the power sector in Nigeria. Taking the bull by the horn, the Akwa Ibom State government under Emmanuel decided to invest massively in building the Ibom Power Plant with a view to meeting the state’s energy needs.

Sadly, to generate is just one leg of the matter; to distribute is another. Since the state government is not in control of the energy distribution network in the country, the state has been unable to take full advantage of the full potential of the Ibom Plant. The Transmission Company of Nigeria is said to have the capacity to evacuate only about 40 per cent of the power generated by the Ibom power plant.

This is most worrisome, because if all the power generated by Ibom power plant is evacuated, the entire state would be power sufficient by now and power outages would have become a thing of the past. Simply put, because the Akwa Ibom State government does not have control of power transmission and distribution, the full benefits of its huge investments have been cruelly denied its people.

However, the state government is not giving up. It has come up with a creative alternative to control how power is generated and when it reaches its people. It leveraged on the technology called injector stations. It built injector stations in different parts of the state to take electricity from where it is generated and drive it to the nearest point to the consumer and then the distribution starts from there. That means distribution hubs were created, instead of generating and distributing from one source.

The idea of the distribution hub is to make sure that injector station faults and issues are easily detected and resolved at a faster rate. The first one installed was in Uyo in July, 2017 and it transformed power supply in the area. The Uyo injector station covers Esonoma, Shelter Afrik, Ewe housing estate and its environs. There is a drastic improvement during peak period such that, sometimes, consumers enjoy power for about 20 hours a day.

There are still challenges though, like aging distribution lines among others which, sadly again, are beyond the control of the state government. With the success at Uyo, the Emmanuel administration did more. Today, there is one injector station ready at the Victor Attah International Airport. There is another one built in Ekum, in Npat Enin, and three others in the works at the moment.

With those three, the state government should cover key areas, while the one in Nkpat Enin would cover industrial areas and coastal cities. The one at the airport will cover Onna, Oron and Eket. Indeed, Akwa Ibom is ready to attract the world to come and invest in the state. There are already 17 industries functioning in the state, which are all private-investors-driven.

Since coming on board in 2015, there is no doubt that Akwa Ibom has been enjoying a new lease of life under Udom Emmanuel. He is a technocrat and one who came into the public square with sterling credentials full of solid achievements. He takes delight in addressing himself as a “professional in politics” as opposed to a professional politician. Until his foray into public service, he was one of the top players in the nation’s financial services sector. While at Zenith Bank- arguably one of the most successfully-run banks in Nigeria nay Africa, he was the Executive Director with direct supervision of Corporate Strategy and Planning, Corporate Financial Advisory Services and Control, Business Development and International Investors’ Relations.

On assuming office in 2015, he knew the power of mobilization. Hence, his invoking the “Dakkada” (stand up) spirit to rally the Akwa Ibom for development and progress. Simply put, “Dakkada” appeals to the “can-do” of the people, challenging them to “stand up” and assume greatness, drive and new approach to doing things. Little wonder there is now a new consciousness in the state.