The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, says he has the most proactive plan to solve the electricity crisis bedeviling the country.
Atiku, in a statement he personally issued on Thursday, said having keenly observed developments in the power sector within the last 24 hours, he was again convinced of his planned solution to the electricity crisis.
He said the solution as encapsulated in his policy document, titled ‘My Covenant with Nigerians’, remains the most proactive plan to lead Nigeria out of darkness.
The former Vice-President said his approach, if elected as president, was to first remove the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and give states the power to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity for themselves.
Atiku said: “An industrial dispute with the Federal Government in Abuja should not affect an industry in Lagos or a factory in Aba or in Kano or even an average Nigerian who just wants to get home, watch the news, and sleep under a ceiling fan.
“Secondly, my policy shall aim at achieving greater coordination of investments in the entire electricity value chain.
“Investments in additional generation capacity are futile without consideration for the complementary transmission and distribution infrastructure to wheel the additional energy.
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“Any investment in additional generation capacity would be competitively procured, considering a viable mix of renewable (hydro, solar, wind and biofuels) and non-renewable (coal, gas) options for energy security.”
The PDP presidential candidate stated that the third solution would be that ahead of procuring additional generation, both transmission and distribution capacities would be enhanced with government and private sector support for investments.
Atiku said he would incentivise private investors to invest in the development of multiple green-field mini-grid transmission systems to be looped into the super-grip in the medium to long term.
He noted that this would be done while allowing the Federal Government to focus on policy, regulation, and standardisation.
The former Vice-President said his aspiration to be president was to protect the interest of the average Nigerians in all circumstances
“On this, I stand to say that I have no interest either directly or indirectly in any generation company as has been publicly revealed,” Atiku stated.
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