Nigeria needs billions to upgrade grid
NIGERIA - Nigeria needs at least $10 billion in annual investments to make sure electricity supplies in the country are secure, a presidential adviser said.
Despite its vast natural resources, Nigerians suffer from a lack of stable electricity availability. Barth Nnaji, a special adviser to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, said the government can't tackle the energy crises alone.
"At least $5 billion is required every year to take care of infrastructure for power generation, while additional $5 billion is needed to deal with distribution and transmission facilities," he was quoted by Nigerian newspaper Next as saying. "The government just cannot afford it."
The adviser said that for the first time in decades, Nigeria has set up a national plan to combine the efforts of those who generate electricity and those who distribute electricity.
He added that that private sector was obligated to take responsibility for providing electricity in the country.
"That is why the president is saying that from next year, generation and distribution will go into private hands as a way of reducing all kinds of issues that are in the system, including the corruption," he said.
Related News

Romania moves to terminate talks with Chinese partner in nuke project
BUCHAREST - Romania's government has mandated the managing board of local nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica to initiate procedures for terminating negotiations with China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) on building two new reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant.
The government also mandated the managing board to analyse and draw up strategic options on the construction of new electricity generation capacities from nuclear sources.
The company will negotiate the termination of the agreement signed in 2015 for developing and operating units 3 and 4 at Cernavoda.
At the end of last month, Economy Minister Virgil Popescu said that the collaboration with the…