Nigeria supplies about 80 per cent of the total quantum of electricity consumed in the Republic of Benin but power is more stable in the neighbouring country than it is in Nigeria, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has said.
Aside from the Republic of Benin, Nigeria, through the TCN, supplies power to the Republics of Niger and Chad, and the countries are classified as international customers in the Nigerian power sector.
On why some of these countries get stable electricity than their major supplier of power, the Managing Director, TCN, Usman Mohammed, explained that their electricity distribution networks were better, adding that power distributors in Nigeria should visit these countries to learn.
When asked if the countries managed their systems differently, Mohammed replied, “This is exactly what was raised in one of our meetings, where one of the Discos said power distributors should go to the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries to look at how the distribution networks in those places work.
“And I told them that they don’t need to go to the UK or South Africa. They (Discos) can go to Cotonou and they will see how a distribution network is built. They should go to Cotonou and look at their distribution network.”
He added, “In Nigeria, you know that we have what we call cross arm, where they (Discos) put woods between the wires on distribution lines. But you won’t see a single cross arm in the whole of Cotonou. You have a straight and good distribution network there.”
“Also, if you stay in Cotonou, you will discover that the only time there will be no supply is when there is a problem with the grid. And this is because their distribution has a straight network.
Source: Punch Newspaper.
