Nnaji’s Power Firm Begins Power Supply Next Year

Geometric Power Ltd owned by Professor Barth Nnaji, former power minister will start supplying power to Aba town, Abia State in February, according to a statement by the company’s publicist.

This is coming as Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), claimed that the electricity feeding tariff in Nigeria is the best anywhere in the world.

But Nnaji, who resigned as power minister in August under controversial circumstances, had been involved in the building of the Aba plant which is to generate about 188 megawatts.

Mr. C. Don Adinuba, spokesman for the former minister said that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance minister toured the company's facility in Aba at the weekend and was satisfied with the progress of work.

Adinuba said that "while other independent power producers (IPPs) seek sovereign guarantees to execute their projects, Nnaji's Geometric has never sought a power purchasing agreement (PPA) from the government. This is because Geometric will sell its power direct to the consumers when it is commissioned next February."

Nnaji in his reported remark observed that the capital-intensive project would have been finished earlier but for inconsistent public policy and the global economic meltdown of 2008 which affected project financiers like the European Investment Bank, Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group.

The $500m project's site was also visited by Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, his Abia State counterpart, Theodore Orji, and a delegation from the National Assembly led by Senator Nkechi Nwogu.

Meanwhile, Sam Amadi, chairman, NERC has said that the electricity feeding tariff in Nigeria is the best anywhere in the world.

Amadi, who said this in Katsina at the flag-off of solar power plant, maintained that Nigeria had developed a robust regulatory framework second to Germany.

The NERC Chairman who spoke through a commissioner in the commission, Alhaji Abba Ibrahim, assured Katsina state government of necessary assistance in the area of power generation.

He reaffirmed the support of the commission to the Nigeria-German energy partnership and lauded Katsina state government for joining the list of states determined to ensure sustainable power supply in their area of jurisdiction.