The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued operating licences to 21 power generating companies (GenCos) in 2022, according to data on its website.
The commission also issued 114 registration/permits for the development of mini-grids to boost power supply across the country during the period.
The federal government and stakeholders in the power sector have been making efforts to increase the country’s power generation and supplies after the successor electricity generation and distribution arms of the sector were unbundled and privatised in November 2013.
However, Nigeria’s total electricity output has been hovering between 3,500 megawatts and 5,000MW, a figure which operators and experts described as too low for a population of over 200 million people.
According to data sourced from the Federal Ministry of Power, electricity generation on the national grid as of Friday morning last week was 4,472MW, up from an off-peak of 3,989.5MW recorded, Thursday.
In its latest report on licensing and permits in the power sector, NERC disclosed that in the fourth quarter of 2022, it approved additional two licences, with a combined capacity of 56.5MW, adding that 27 mini-grid registration/permits were issued in the same quarter.
The GenCos comprise privatised GenCos, independent power producers (IPPs), and generating stations under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) developed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria. The privatised GenCos are Afam Power, Sapele Power, Egbin Power, Ughelli Power, Kainji Power Plant, Jebba Power Plant, and Shiroro Power.
The GenCos operate either hydro-electric or thermal gas-fired power plants.
NERC is the central authority responsible for overseeing the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and its main role is to issue licences and regulate persons engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, and trading of electricity in Nigeria.