
Stakeholders in the energy industry are unanimous in their agreement that power supply in the country could only improve if consumers were sensitised on the need to conserve energy.
This resolution was reached during a power sector stakeholders meeting in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The stakeholders meeting is a monthly parley convened by the Power Minister for key actors including power generators, transmitters, and distributors.
Minister of power, works and housing Babatunde Fashola in an address at the meeting urged state governments to “educate people on the need to conserve electricity.”
“Driving through Damboa road we saw not a few shops with their electricity bulbs still switched on at 11:00am; that is energy being wasted where it is not needed and can be put to good use,” he said.
Fashola added that the “increased power supply experienced lately was in line with the Federal Government’s road map of first achieving “incremental power”.
He appealed to state governors across the nation to conduct a proper energy audit for the power ministry to use as a basis for planning power consumption.
“We plan to do one in the next census, but our work will be greatly relieved if the states give us that information in a very reliable manner,” the former Lagos State governor said.
State government officials at the meeting pledged to key into the call by the operators of the power sector, assuring them of their commitment to educating citizens on appropriate usage of energy.
It was the 8th of such energy stakeholders meeting since the current government came on board, with participants drawn from different parts of the country to identify and brainstorm on critical challenges facing the electricity industry.

The minister also inspected a 330 and 132KV line substation being constructed near Damboa which is expected to boost power generation and supply in the host state and environs upon completion.