聯邦政府累積了4萬億電力債務

據報導，博拉·蒂諾布總統正在尋求與發電公司會面的巨額債務

The accumulation of N4 trillion electricity debts by the federal government, and the threat thus posed to the supply of power nationwide, is unfortunate and certainly does not portray the country as serious both to local business concerns and to potential foreign investors. While President Bola Tinubu is reportedly seeking to meet with electricity generation companies on the huge debt, which accumulated even before the advent of his administration, it will be worthwhile for his government to pay more than perfunctory attention to the debt and how it accumulated.

不幸的是，聯邦政府累積了4萬億次電力債務，以及對全國電力供應構成的威脅，這對當地商業問題和潛在的外國投資者來說都是嚴重的。據報導，據報導，博拉·蒂努布總統正在尋求與發電公司會見巨大的債務，甚至在他的政府出現之前就積累了，但他的政府值得對債務及其積累的持久關注不僅僅是對債務的關注。

It will not be sufficient, as Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu indicated, that the government plans to pay a substantial part of the debt immediately, and arrange with the GenCos to pay the rest by other means. That is an easy solution that may not endure because it doesn’t take long for such debts to grow again if the causative factors are left unchecked. The government should work to prevent the accumulation of electricity debts, and indeed any other debt, as this will invariably burden the government.

正如權力部長阿德巴約·阿德拉布（Adebayo Adelabu）指出的那樣，政府計劃立即支付大部分債務，並與Gencos安排以其他方式支付其餘費用，這是不夠的。這是一個簡單的解決方案，可能無法忍受，因為如果不受組織的因素，這種債務不久就會再次增長。政府應努力防止電力債務的積累，甚至是其他任何債務，因為這總是會給政府帶來負擔。

Generation Companies (GenCos) recently warned of an imminent power shutdown due to N4 trillion in debts owed by the Nigerian government for electricity generated and supplied to the national grid. This, of course, will further worsen the power situation in the country. A few months ago, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) threatened to sanction Distribution Companies (DisCos) for failing to complete the migration of Token Identifier of Standard Transfer Specification (STS) meters from Key Revision 1 to Key Revision 2. Now, the GenCos are raising the alarm that the entire country can be plunged into darkness over the non-payment of debts by the federal government.

世紀公司（Gencos）最近警告說，由於尼日利亞政府欠下的電力和供應給國家電網的電力，尼日利亞政府欠下的債務即將發生關閉。當然，這將進一步加劇該國的權力狀況。幾個月前，尼日利亞電力監管委員會（NERC）威脅要製裁分銷公司（Discos），因為他們未能完成從關鍵修訂1到密鑰修訂2的標準轉移規格（STS）儀表的遷移。

The Federal Government should immediately settle its indebtedness to the GenCos. The GenCos have complained bitterly about severe liquidity problems. For example, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the GenCos stated that the debt, which includes N2 trillion for 2024 and N1.9 trillion in legacy debts, is threatening the continued operation of their power generation plants. A statement has been issued to draw the attention of the Federal Government and key stakeholders to the urgent need for debtors to pay for the electricity they have consumed, as the situation now jeopardises the sustainability of power generation in the country.

聯邦政府應立即將其債務定位到Gencos。 Gencos對嚴重的流動性問題感到痛苦。例如，Gencos董事會主席指出，包括2024年N2萬億美元和N1.9萬億的債務，正在威脅到其發電廠的持續運作。已經發表了一份聲明，以引起聯邦政府和主要利益相關者的關注，以迫切需要債務人支付他們所消耗的電力，因為這種情況現在危害了該國發電的可持續性。

The government should lead by example. If it cannot meet its obligations, what can it expect from ordinary consumers? The government must understand that GenCos require funds to purchase gas (which powers many of Nigeria’s power plants), maintain equipment, pay staff, service loans, and invest in infrastructure. The GenCos owe gas suppliers and other service providers. If the GenCos are not paid, they cannot meet their financial obligations, thereby deepening the debt crisis across the entire electricity value chain.

政府應該以身作則。如果它無法履行其義務，那麼普通消費者會期望什麼？政府必須了解，Gencos要求資金購買天然氣（尼日利亞許多發電廠的動力），維護設備，工資人員，服務貸款以及投資基礎設施。 Gencos欠氣體供應商和其他服務提供商。如果沒有支付Gencos，他們將無法履行其財務義務，從而加深了整個電力價值鏈的債務危機。

Power is critical for every sector—manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, ICT, and households. Therefore, the federal government must not treat its indebtedness to the GenCos with levity. Electricity is the backbone of national development and critical to the survival of every sector in Nigeria. Timely payments by the government are essential to attract and retain both local and foreign investors. The federal government’s indebtedness to the GenCos sends a negative signal that the Nigerian power sector is high-risk.

權力對每個部門 - 製造，農業，醫療保健，教育，ICT和家庭都是至關重要的。因此，聯邦政府不得以債務對Gencos進行債務。電力是國家發展的支柱，對尼日利亞每個部門的生存至關重要。政府及時付款對於吸引和保留本地和外國投資者至關重要。聯邦政府對Gencos的債務發出了負面信號，表明尼日利亞電力部門是高風險的。

Most GenCos operate under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) that guarantee regular payments. A government default on these contracts could lead to lawsuits, penalties, and strained relations with key partners.

大多數Gencos在電力購買協議（PPA）下運營，以保證定期付款。政府對這些合同的違約可能會導致訴訟，處罰和與主要合作夥伴的緊張關係。

Unreliable electricity significantly raises the cost of doing business, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Industries may be forced to cut jobs or shut down entirely, slowing down economic growth. The federal government’s refusal or delay in paying its debts signals to both local and foreign investors that the sector is financially unstable, thereby discouraging further investment. This could derail planned power projects and infrastructure upgrades.

不可靠的電力大大提高了經商的成本，尤其是對於中小企業（中小型企業）。行業可能被迫裁員或完全關閉，從而減慢了經濟增長。聯邦政府拒絕或延遲向當地和外國投資者支付債務信號，表明該行業在財務上是不穩定的，從而阻止了進一步的投資。這可能會使計劃的電力項目和基礎設施升級。

The paradox is glaring: the same government that routinely talks about increasing access to electricity, promoting industrialisation, and driving digital transformation, cannot meet its basic obligation of paying power generators. It makes the government appear unserious. Multinational investors, development partners, and other governments take note of this lack of seriousness. It weakens Nigeria’s negotiating power in global partnerships and discourages foreign direct investment.

悖論是巨大的：通常談論增加電力，促進工業化和推動數字化轉型的政府無法履行其支付發電機的基本義務。這使政府顯得毫無意義。跨國投資者，發展夥伴和其他政府注意到這種缺乏嚴重性。它削弱了尼日利亞在全球合作夥伴關係中的談判權力，並阻止外國直接投資。

Therefore, in the coming days, the Federal Government must act decisively, including making proactive measures not just to pay its debts and prevent the accumulation of such in future, but also in exploring how to increase the efficiency of the power generation and distribution companies. By now, a government committed to improving the welfare of Nigerians, lifting them from poverty and creating jobs for the teeming masses should be seriously exploring the various other options of providing light for its citizens.

因此，在接下來的幾天裡，聯邦政府必須採取果斷行動，包括採取積極的措施，不僅是為了償還債務並防止將來的積累，而且還要探索如何提高發電和發電公司的效率。到目前為止，政府致力於改善尼日利亞人的福利，使他們擺脫貧困，並為充滿活力的群眾創造就業機會，應該認真探索為其公民提供燈光的其他各種選擇。

Although a few states are trying to leverage the new Electricity Act to expand the frontiers of their power supply, there is little to show that the federal government is equally affected. The government’s recent approval of N10 billion for solar power in the Presidential Villa is an indication of an easy money solution to deep-seated problems. It is like treating the symptoms at

儘管一些州試圖利用《新電力法》來擴大其電源的邊界，但幾乎沒有表明聯邦政府同樣受到影響。政府最近在總統別墅中批准了100億荷蘭盾太陽能，這表明解決了易於大量問題的簡單資金解決方案。就像治療症狀