Nigeria: As Pipeline Breaks Threaten Nigeria's Energy Security

Chineme Okafor writes that the sabotage of critical oil and gas infrastructure by militants is compelling reason for the federal government to accelerate policies to diversify Nigeria's electricity generation sources to ensure energy security

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola recently declared that the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta was taking a great toll on the country's electricity system, and that Nigeria's economy was being made to pay for this acts.

Describing it as an unwholesome act, the minister in a disappointing voice, which sounded quite overwhelmed by the development, stated that the government was being forced to think fast on expanding the country's sources of electricity.

"Repeated acts of vandalism have rendered us vulnerable and we have to proactively move to overcome that one single source of supply," he said.

He explained that developing new and existing sources other than gas could take time but would eventually pay off and guarantee security of energy for her.

"We have seen from events that started around February 14 this year, repeated acts of vandalism of our gas pipelines that render us clearly vulnerable to one source of fuel for our energy development.

"That has challenged us to develop options and alternatives like solar in particular, and of course, hydro power plants in more quantitative response. So, we will be accelerating work on projects like Gurara Hydro Power Plant - phases 1 and 2, work has started on Zungeru Hydro Power Plant.

"We will also be accelerating work on Mambila Power Plant, which will give us the biggest single electrification source over a period of seven years that it is estimated to have it concluded.

"So, for us, this is a journey of diversification, a journey of electricity security for Nigeria and it is a journey that will ensure that in future it will be impossible to hold this country to ransom by controlling any particular source of fuel for electricity" he stated.

He noted when he launched the Building Energy Efficiency Guideline (BEEG) for Nigeria, that sustained sabotage of the country's petroleum pipeline in the Niger Delta by militant groups has rendered the country's public electricity supply system extremely vulnerable.