PHCN(Power Holding Company of Nigeria) formerly known as NEPA(National Electric Power Authority) is the organisation in charge of electricity in Nigeria and as all Nigerians know, they are terrible at their jobs or so it seems. Most households experience electricity or ‘light’ roughly 48 hours a week, so most homes own generators. It’s common to hear citizens exclaim out loud when the light is taken without warning or care. Some of these people may be cooking, watching a movie, charging devices, having a bath or anything and suddenly they can’t see or their action has to be suspended and over and over again people ask, why does Nepa always take the light?!
The main reason why Nigeria suffers a lack of electricity is that the nation currently doesn’t generate enough power to sustain it. This Day shares, “The electricity sector in Nigeria currently generates, transmits and distributes megawatts of electric power, that is significantly lower than Nigeria’s required household and industrial needs. In 2012, the industry had laboured to distribute a mere 5,000 megawatts, very much less than the 40,000 megawatts needed to sustain the basic needs of the population.”
Because we don’t make enough power to sustain our electricity long term, Nigeria has had to make allowances including dividing up how electricity is distributed amongst its citizens. In order to make sure that everyone at least receives a piece of the power cake at some point, power companies came up with the idea of providing power to as many people who are on the distribution networks at various times. They saw it as the only fair solution and to be honest, if Nigeria doesn’t find a way to generate more power, it is looking like the only solution!