联邦政府累积了4万亿电力债务

据报道，博拉·蒂诺布总统正在寻求与发电公司会面的巨额债务

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，联邦政府累积了4万亿次电力债务，以及对全国电力供应构成的威胁，这对当地商业问题和潜在的外国投资者来说都是严重的。据报道，据报道，博拉·蒂努布总统正在寻求与发电公司会见巨大的债务，甚至在他的政府出现之前就积累了，但他的政府值得对债务及其积累的持久关注不仅仅是对债务的关注。

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.

正如权力部长阿德巴约·阿德拉布（Adebayo Adelabu）指出的那样，政府计划立即支付大部分债务，并与Gencos安排以其他方式支付其余费用，这是不够的。这是一个简单的解决方案，可能无法忍受，因为如果不受组织的因素，这种债务不久就会再次增长。政府应努力防止电力债务的积累，甚至是其他任何债务，因为这总是会给政府带来负担。

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.

世纪公司（Gencos）最近警告说，由于尼日利亚政府欠下的电力和供应给国家电网的电力，尼日利亚政府欠下的债务即将发生关闭。当然，这将进一步加剧该国的权力状况。几个月前，尼日利亚电力监管委员会（NERC）威胁要制裁分销公司（Discos），因为他们未能完成从关键修订1到密钥修订2的标准转移规格（STS）仪表的迁移。

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.

联邦政府应立即将其债务定位到Gencos。 Gencos对严重的流动性问题感到痛苦。例如，Gencos董事会主席指出，包括2024年N2万亿美元和N1.9万亿的债务，正在威胁到其发电厂的持续运作。已经发表了一份声明，以引起联邦政府和主要利益相关者的关注，以迫切需要债务人支付他们所消耗的电力，因为这种情况现在危害了该国发电的可持续性。

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.

政府应该以身作则。如果它无法履行其义务，那么普通消费者会期望什么？政府必须了解，Gencos要求资金购买天然气（尼日利亚许多发电厂的动力），维护设备，工资人员，服务贷款以及投资基础设施。 Gencos欠气体供应商和其他服务提供商。如果没有支付Gencos，他们将无法履行其财务义务，从而加深了整个电力价值链的债务危机。

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.

权力对每个部门 - 制造，农业，医疗保健，教育，ICT和家庭都是至关重要的。因此，联邦政府不得以债务对Gencos进行债务。电力是国家发展的支柱，对尼日利亚每个部门的生存至关重要。政府及时付款对于吸引和保留本地和外国投资者至关重要。联邦政府对Gencos的债务发出了负面信号，表明尼日利亚电力部门是高风险的。

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.

大多数Gencos在电力购买协议（PPA）下运营，以保证定期付款。政府对这些合同的违约可能会导致诉讼，处罚和与主要合作伙伴的紧张关系。

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.

不可靠的电力大大提高了经商的成本，尤其是对于中小企业（中小型企业）。行业可能被迫裁员或完全关闭，从而减慢了经济增长。联邦政府拒绝或延迟向当地和外国投资者支付债务信号，表明该行业在财务上是不稳定的，从而阻止了进一步的投资。这可能会使计划的电力项目和基础设施升级。

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.

悖论是巨大的：通常谈论增加电力，促进工业化和推动数字化转型的政府无法履行其支付发电机的基本义务。这使政府显得毫无意义。跨国投资者，发展伙伴和其他政府注意到这种缺乏严重性。它削弱了尼日利亚在全球合作伙伴关系中的谈判权力，并阻止外国直接投资。

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，在接下来的几天里，联邦政府必须采取果断行动，包括采取积极的措施，不仅是为了偿还债务并防止将来的积累，而且还要探索如何提高发电和发电公司的效率。到目前为止，政府致力于改善尼日利亚人的福利，使他们摆脱贫困，并为充满活力的群众创造就业机会，应该认真探索为其公民提供灯光的其他各种选择。

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

尽管一些州试图利用《新电力法》来扩大其电源的边界，但几乎没有表明联邦政府同样受到影响。政府最近在总统别墅中批准了100亿荷兰盾太阳能，这表明解决了易于大量问题的简单资金解决方案。就像治疗症状