I have three important words for us to ponder about: Nigeria in Peril. I have started projecting for next year and one of the amazing discoveries after reviewing my cost profile for the year 2008 was the amount of money spent on electric power supply: Three Hundred Thousand naira (about 2500 USD) on fuel alone, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand naira (about 2916 USD) Â Â on procuring, installing and maintaining a 3KVA inverter and Two Hundred and Ten Thousand naira (about 1750 USD) on procuring and maintaining a 5KVA petrol-driven electric generator.
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Wow! This is really serious. Despite the fact that I make use of the national grid, I still spend this much for electricity. Then I started to think of companies that cannot do without electricity for their operations and chief amongst them is the telecoms industry. I can imagine the massive profit, they would have declared if electricity was not an issue in Nigeria. Well, these large companies can manage because they can simply pass the costs on their induced-loyal subscribers. What about start-ups like me?
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There is this common statistics I pick from business book from America which states that 4 out of 5 business start-up will fail in their first 5 years of operation. Can you imagine that America with their stable electric power supply does not encourage start-ups with their dooming statistics, and then what will be the statistics for Nigeria start-up business? I really don’t think most people have really looked at the effect of incessant dilapidated electric power supply on the social-economic landscape of Nigeria.
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I have always wondered why China was adamantly supporting the Sudanese government in the case of the genocide happening @ Dafur. The answer is very simple; trade! China buys cheap oil from Sudan and Sudan buys their industrial products like weapons, planes, etc. Although this is not a valid reason for being a proponent of genocide, China knows the survival of more than a billion of their populations is on trade. If there is no sink for their products, the industries will phase out. If the industries phase out, there will be no job. If there is no job, crime rate will increase and there will be social unrest. If there is social unrest, the polity will suffer.
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Enterprise development and Industry building is the key to building a nation; a nation that does not engage in these activities is prone to extinction. Almost all the enterprise in Nigeria depends on the use of electricity one way or the other and if no solution is in sight for this lingering electric power problem, there is bound to be chaos in sight especially on the psychological framework of the youths: The fear of going on a limb to start their own business instead of continuous search for limited jobs.
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FEAR is simply an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real but how will Nigerian youths know that the fear associated with starting-up a business is not real if there is no light to see. When you are in darkness, you fear the worst but when there is light, there is no shadow, no doubt, no fear, just plain understanding. Marie Curie, the creator of radioactivity, said it better: “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understoodâ€. The first thing God created in this earth was light (Gen 1:3); the first thing the government of Nigeria needs to fix is the electricity, then all other things can follow.
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I remember vividly speaking to one of my foreign partners about starting something in Nigeria; after painting the picture of how the demography/population will impact the demand of their product. The representatives simply pointed the cost of running electricity to pursue such projects in Nigeria. They told me of their fellow countrymen that have tried such in Nigeria and it had been a dismal failure. Each time I remember this meeting, I think of President Obasanjo travelling round the world seeking for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); he really did not have to beg for FDI; all he needed to do was build the right environment and FDI would come knocking at Nigerian’s door.
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It is 3.00 am in the morning and I am hammering away on my computer; my generator is malfunctioning and of course there is no electricity from the nation’s supplier. I am so grateful I have one of this electromate 400 with me powering my computer and fan and the LED areal light from the electromate 400 is such a life saver. Wow! It’s good to have such tool in these times; I am wondering what will happen to so many great ideas out there that have not been trapped because of lack of electricity. Please, give us our daily light!!!        Â
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8 comments
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December 16, 2008 at 9:37 am (UTC 1)
Thanks for this piece. It beats my imagination that things refuse to function in Nigeria. Tested theories in other countries get proved wrong here in Nigeria. Most Nigerians are so good negatively. If not, how will one explain the billions of dollars spent on the repair of our electrical facilities and there is nothing to show for it. The money spent is enough to generate power afresh to the whole nation still nothing is happening and nobody is answering questions. Light (Power) is just one aspect. Other sectors are not doing better. Look at our Refineries. What we spent in a year on maintenance is enough to build new refineries. Same story on all sectors. Our industries are closing down because the cost of running on diesel and fuel is too high. I weep for Nigeria. We really need prayers. We need to change our attitude. Anyone that finds his/herself in position to contribute to the development of the nation, ends up enriching his/herself. Nobody is ready to serve. Corruption has become the order of the day. I am tempted to believe that until there is a revolution in Nigeria, we may never wake up. Ghana got it right after Rawlings reolution. Nigeria will get there one day.
December 11, 2008 at 11:31 am (UTC 1)
Dipo,
In what ways do you think we can step in and proffer some sustainable solution.
It worries me the rate at which small scale companies are folding up
We used to have lots of them in the 80s and 90s, but gradually fading away
December 10, 2008 at 8:24 pm (UTC 1)
This electromate 400 unit actually seems to be something close to what I really needed as saving grace at a period like this but I guess there are many questions to be answered.
You have a bright idea if truely it will last up to 8hrs on my flat screen TV, FAN, PHONE, to mention but a few. I wont mind if we can meet on a business dealing after I might have the unit tested on a personal note.
Its good to meet people like you.
December 10, 2008 at 9:53 am (UTC 1)
I was discussing with my younger brother on the issue of electricity the other night, and we came to the conlcusion that the $16B spent on power may be enough to power an entire nation from scratch no to talk of a country where there are facilities on ready ground.
“Each time I remember this meeting, I think of President Obasanjo travelling round the world seeking for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); he really did not have to beg for FDI; all he needed to do was build the right environment and FDI would come knocking at Nigerian’s door.”
You echoed my views on https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3957783815255991623&postID=458551503890093261
Luv U!
December 6, 2008 at 4:56 pm (UTC 1)
dear dipo,
you’ve given the stark realities hope our leaders are reading.
balogun
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December 6, 2008 at 4:28 pm (UTC 1)
Hello Everyone,
Light ! Light !! Light !!!
And God said let there be light and there was light. Just like humans can’t do without water, light also is of paramount importance to our daily lives. Huge capital has been allocated to the power sector in 2009 budget.
I just pray that those people around the corridors of power will not continue to manipulate the system to perpetually keep Nigerian in darkness so as for their friends to keep on selling their Power Generating sets.
Will really need our daily light.
December 6, 2008 at 1:04 pm (UTC 1)
What would one do other than to find a way to thrive in the situation. You can still blog with your electromate, thats a solution. How many countries can survive without constant electricity? Hail nigerians, we are the greatest
December 6, 2008 at 10:21 am (UTC 1)
@ dipo,
food for thought.i wonder if our so called leaders and lawmakers actually think at all.yet they travel to other countries and see how things work.its only in naija that satellite can get missing without signing a clause with china just in case somethin happens.40b just went like that?what is the sense in giving china $3b importation waiver because it wants to invest $250m.what is the sens in our lawmakers travelling to china to probe the satellite,another jamboree?yardua says no light till 2011.may God save nigeria.