National Assembly to make laws on development of grids

The National Assembly (NASS) has disclosed that it is working towards making laws that will aid the development of main and mini-grids to boost electricity supply in the country.

A grid is a network of wires and cables through which power, such as electricity is distributed.

Chairman, House Committee on Power, Magaji Aliyu, said this at the ongoing three-day International Conference on Energy, Power Systems Operations and Planning (ICEPSOP) 2020, in Abuja.

The conference with the theme, “Empowering Micro Grid with Smart Grid Attributes Development in U.S. and Africa,” is organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in collaboration with Howard University and support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Aliyu said that the Federal Government had resolved to develop electric power in Nigeria, especially in rural areas.

“We in the National Assembly are equally resolved to enact relevant laws that will continue to aid the development of the main and mini-grids.

“This conference must also endeavour to do justice to the issue of development of adequate human capacity to achieve this objective.

“Having funds to develop these assets is one thing, having the right technology to build an enduring one is another thing, so also is having the capacity to maintain them.

“We must produce adequately trained personnel in order to make a headway, and training and re-training should be a continuous process,” he said.

Aliyu, however, said that the NERC had importa5rnt role to play in the development of the mini-grid.

He said NASS had gathered that certain generators for the main grid were given licenses to construct power plants and they failed to do so.

“The reasons for this must be properly articulated so that it does not happen in the case of the mini-grid.

“One major drawback for a failed generator who has been given a license is that it will take several years to withdraw the license and issue same to a new one.

“For rural dwellers, who may not easily be connected to the main grid, that will mean living in perpetual darkness,” he noted.