National Electric Power Authority Research Articles

Evolution of Electricity Metering Technologies in Nigeria

Advancement in technology has continuously driven the evolution of metering devices and infrastructure in the world and has resulted in more accurate and user-friendly devices equipped with customer interaction interfaces. The evolution of metering technology in Nigeria arose with the unbundling of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) but have not progressed smoothly and successfully despite the implementation of various reforms and policies in the Nigerian electricity industry. The persisting problems in the electricity distribution system such as energy theft, vandalism, energy wastage, high line losses can be overcome by the deployment of appropriate metering infrastructure. In the second quarter of 2020, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission revealed that the total registered customers and total metered customers are 10,516,090 and 4,234,759 respectively leaving a metering gap of 59.73%; after 124 years of commercial electricity availability in Nigeria. This paper discusses Nigeria's metering history and the challenges encountered in the transition of policies, technologies and government reforms. The paper also proposes the way forward to a successful transitioning into a smart distribution grid.

Nigerian Power Sector: A new structure required for effective and adequate power generation, transmission and distribution

In this paper, the structure of the Nigerian power sector is examined, the problems in the structure are identified and a new structure is proposed for effective power generation, transmission and distribution. Besides the problems usually canvassed, the current structure is defective from the perspective of the ownership of the power infrastructures, passive involvement of state governments and undue influence of the federal government. The reforms in the sector were driven by the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) of 2005, leading to the creation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to take both the assets and the liabilities of the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), and the subsequent unbundling of PHCN to 18 successor companies – 6 power generating companies, one power transmission company and 11 power distribution companies. The new structure proposed in this work gives room for every state government to own power plants and distribute power in the various states. They can equally buy power from independent power producers. Power plants owned by the federal government in the present structure are to continue sending power to the national grid and made available to states with insufficient power generation in the new structure. Independent power producers can also send power to the national grid. The federal government will continue managing power transmission in the new structure. Each state government will own at least two power distribution companies in partnership with private organizations who will equally have a stake in the ownership of the power generating plants. The tariff of grid-connected power will be higher, encouraging states to go into active power generation. The new structure will enable the federal government to do away with rural electrification programme and other power generation options regulated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission which should be under the control of various state governments. New laws are needed in the place of the EPSRA to achieve the new structure. The federal government will make money from the proposed structure instead of spending huge sums of money in the present structure.

Public perceptions about renewable energy technologies in Nigeria

Globally, there is a focus on generating energy from renewable energy sources in order to ensure sustainability. However, experience has shown that although the public generally accepts renewable energy technology (RET), there is also opposition to its implementation. Renewable energy education is thus essential for its successful implementation. This work is based on doctoral research which seeks to explore the Nigerian public’s understanding (inclusive of knowledge, beliefs, perceptions and attitude) of RET. A mixed-method approach was used and the work was based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the technology acceptance model (TAM). The results shows that there are significant positive correlations between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and intention to use RET. Negative perceptions about the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), lack of information about how RET works, cost and corruption all created negative perceptions about RET among the public. There is a need for both formal and informal energy education in the country.

Problems of Rural Electrification in Bayelsa State

Rural electrification scheme is aimed at promoting the welfare of the rural community and improve the economic status of the people. The presence of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) is rarely felt, that the supply of power to Bayelsa from the grid is less than 10 percent. The Kolo creek gas turbine is only available to only two local communities in the state. The paper therefore is aimed at presenting these problems by studying the problems facing the present scheme in terms of capital cost, the dispersed settlement, the load profile and transport system. It was seen that the coastal environment and the fairly big rivers coupled with the high capital cost are major impediments to successful electrification of the state. It was seen that it cost sever time more than an equivalent scheme in the upload areas. With the abundant oil and gas resources and the renewable energies (solar and wind), off grid electrification project could be the solution to the electrification scheme if properly harnessed.

A Legal Perspective on Nigeria's Blossoming Electric Power Sector

Electricity has been in use in Nigeria for well over a century. The country has however experienced poor growth in its electricity supply industry, with grave effects on its economic and social development. The more apparent factors which have left the electricity sector in a dismal state include lack of capital expenditure, inadequacy of fuel, irregular maintenance of facilities, use of outdated facilities, inefficient revenue collection, vandalisation of facilities and corruption. In recent years the Federal Government has made effort to reform the country’s electricity supply industry by, among other steps, passing the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) in 2005. The EPSRA provides for establishment of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the liberalization and privatization of the power sector by removing the monopoly hitherto held by the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). Pursuant to the EPSRA, NEPA has been unbundled into separate generating companies, distribution companies and a transmission company. The EPSRA also provides a framework for the privatization and liberalization of the Nigerian electricity supply industry with a view to making it competitive and more efficient. This paper attempts to highlight some of the major features of Nigeria’s evolving electricity supply industry.

Reliability assessment of Port Harcourt 33/11kv Distribution System

Consumers of electrical energy expect a network to support their apparatuses with continuous and reliable supply.This makes reliability studies an important task besides all the other analyses required for assessing the system performance. The paper presents an analytical approach in the reliability assessment of the Port Harcourt 33/11kV power distribution system. The assessment was performed with the 2009 power outage data collected from the monopolistic operator of the Nigerian power system, National Electric Power Authority (now unbundled and called Power Holding Company of Nigeria, (PHCN) Plc) on the four substations: Marine-Base, U.S.T., Old-GRA and PH-Town injection substations radiating from the Port Harcourt Town 132/33/11kV transmission/injection substation. Thus, this study will enable utilities to determine the state of reliability of each substation and hence, provide a standard for prioritizing maintenance and upgrade of its distribution substation facilities.

The Electricity Industry in Nigeria: What are the Challenges and Options Available to Improve the Sector?

The hallmark of a developed country is providing basic amenities to its citizenry. An epileptic energy supply prolongs the development of a nation, as well as risk the participation of potential investors in the sector. Nigeria a country of over 140 million people, has for the past 38 years of the establishment of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) agency (renamed Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN in 2004) empowered with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, been witnessing constant power outages and system breakdown. Presently, the government has carried out some reforms with the aim of improving the pitiable power situation that has plagued both the economy and people of Nigeria. This has prompted the research into those challenges that have crippled the power sector and the options available to improve it. A comparative cost analysis will be carried out to evaluate the costs of a stable and reliable power supply to running a generator set. The paper thus, concludes that privatization may be the way out of the electricity crisis in Nigeria but better understanding of the system will help to foster a lasting solution.

Employee morale in the national electric power authority (Nepa) of Nigeria: a study of the eastern zones

Employee morale is one of the predictors of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. This study, carried out in 2004, enquired into the morale of NEPA staff in the Eastern zones with a view to finding out if it can be held as one of the factors responsible for NEPA's dismal performance while it existed. Findings show that employee morale was high on three out of the four morale predictors investigated and that there was a relationship between sex and the way employees were treated. A few recommendations are made for the attention of NEPA’s successor, the Power Holding Company (PHCN) of Nigeria. Key words: Employee morale, Predictors, PHCN, Organizational efficiency, Eastern zones

The ill effect of outages on National Electric Power Authority (NEPA): Ilorin 132/33kv substation as a case study

The ill effect of outages on National Electric Power Authority (NEPA): Ilorin 132/33kv substation as a case study

Power sector reforms in Nigeria: opportunities and challenges

Constant power supply is the hallmark of a devel-oped economy. Any nation whose energy need is epileptic in supply, prolongs her development and risks losing potential investors. Nigeria, a country of over 120 million people, has for the past 33 years of establishment of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) agency empowered with the elec-tricity generation, transmission and distribution, wit-nessed frequent and persistent outages. Presently, the federal government has embarked on power sector reforms with the intention of improving the above unpalatable scenario and in turn reduce the scope of monopoly control of the nation’s power industry. This paper therefore looks at the overall power sector reforms as well as evaluates the opportunities and challenges there from; while advocating introduction of a demand side manage-ment (DSM) program by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) as a way of reducing energy con-sumption among customers with emphasis on ener-gy conservation, energy efficiency and load man-agement.

Elimination of Frequent Electric Power Interruption Due to Lightning Discharge in Nigeria

The problems facing the Power Holding Company of Nigeria PLC (PHCN) which was formerly called the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), are numerous to the extent that every power electric engineer both in the industrial sector and in academic is being challenged to proffer possible solutions. In an attempt, to combat some of these problems, this paper is therefore focused on a problem, affecting frequent power interruption to consumers during rainy season by PHCN. A research carried out before now ascertained that more than 500 hours were lost annually on power interruptions due to lightning discharge in various substations throughout the country during rainy season. Therefore, this paper has suggested the use of double lightning arresters instead of one, for the protection of industrial and domestic electrical installation work. It recommended the use of Thyrite or Oriaghe low voltage lightning arrester to prospective power consumers for domestic application. Also, for the high voltage protection it recommended the use of the high voltage Thyrite lightning arrester for lightning discharge protection of transformers and switch gears, used by PHCN.

Electric power supply strategies and productivity in selected manufacturing industries in Nigeria

Poor reliability of electric power supply has led some manufacturing firms in Nigeria to adopt alternative electricity supply options such as onsite generation to displace or supplement the national grid's supply. This study was designed to examine these options as they affect the production performance of such enterprises. The data for the study were collected from a sample of 11 randomly selected small, medium, and large firms that engage in metal and agro-allied products. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and engineering economy methods. The results of the study revealed that these firms have acquired electricity generating sets because the services of the country's electric utility company, NEPA (National Electric Power Authority) are unreliable. Frequent power outages cause a reduction in the quality and quantity of total production output and consequently erode the profit margin of the industrial sector. This study shows that the estimated economic costs of electricity supply interruptions from the national grid to these firms ranged between 18%–82% of the firms’ total revenue. Policy recommendations that will ensure constant and reliable supply of electricity to manufacturing companies in the country are suggested.

Antecedents of organizational citizenship behaviour in a government-owned enterprise in Nigeria

The study examines the generalizability of perceived organizational support (POS) and perceived fair interpersonal treatment (PFIT) as positive correlates of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in Nigeria. In a study conducted, 207 lower management employees of National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), a government-owned enterprise in Nigeria, were selected as participants. Standardized psychological scales measuring POS, PFIT, and three facets of OCB (helping, civic virtue, and sportsmanship) were administered. Data analysed using Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analysis (controlling gender, age, and tenure) respectively showed independent and joint positive association of POS and PFIT with OCB and each of its three dimensions. It is concluded that to enhance OCB among employees of organizations, especially government-owned enterprises in Nigeria, management need to device policies and put in place programmes that would ensure enhanced organizational support and fair interpersonal treatment.

Privatisation and commercialisation in Nigeria: Implications and prospects for good governance

The privatisation and commercialisation Decree No. 25 of 1988 (amended 1999) which provided the legal backing for the Technical Committee of Privatisation and Commercialisation (TCPC), began the major paradigm shift in the conceptualisation of public enterprises in Nigeria. The paper primarily examined the privatisation exercise in Nigeria since 1988. It also attempted to provide measures that will simplify the complex process of privatisation with the hope of lessening the probability of crisis. The paper considered the impact of privatisation on performance of privatised companies, changes in employment and the increase in the prices of commodities of the enterprises vis-à-vis their gross income towards the overall good governance of the Nigerian society.The data for the paper were mainly secondary; and were drawn from the financial statements of companies in the stock Exchange and other stock Exchange reports, Central Bank Bulletins, publications and published reports of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. Newspapers and publication of the Federal Office of Statistics are other sources. The data were analysed by trend analysis using absolute figures, percentages and ratios based on the past record on privatisation in Nigeria.However, the study discovered that only a few successful enterprises, Flour Mills, African Petroleum, National oil and Chemical Marketing Company Limited (NOLCHEM) were partially privatised. The commercialisation of enterprises such as National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), Nigeria Telecommunications (NITEL) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), hardly showed any significant improvement in their operational and economic performance.The papers showed that employment levels were affected by privatisation. Between 1989 and 1993, the public sector accounted for more job losses than privatised companies. When privatised firms employment rose, public and private sectors still had lower employment levels. The sharp increase in prices between 1992 and 1994 did not create a sufficient increase in gross earnings for 1994. The results revealed that a reduction in public control would have an effect (at least in the short term) on prices. Profits increase but the extent to which this increase can attributed to reduction of government controls is not clear. Three banks witnessed sharp increase in investments and profitability immediately after privatisation, and there was a slight decrease before another increase. Results showed that privatisation has improved company performance, especially in the efficiency of resources utilisation. Higher profit to capital employed ratios has been witnessed since privatisation. Debt/Total Asset ratios have not been affected in any adverse way. Results from the study also revealed that price increases in excess of 200% occurred immediately after privatisation. This perhaps has an effect on the profits of the companies (especially those that still maintained monopoly status for a while.However, one fact is clear: the heydays of public enterprises in Nigeria are gone for good. It was on this note that the study concluded that privatisation is the appropriate economic recipe to achieve the much desired human development and good governance.

SOLAR ENERGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN NIGERIA: Short Communication

Solar energy is the energy transmitted from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation, which requires no medium for its transmission. The earth receives about one – half of one billionth of the total solar output. The sun is largely responsible for almost all of our conventional energy sources. For example, photosynthesis of plants and algae supported ancient life that later became fossils fuels. Even, hydroelectric power would not be possible without the evaporation of water. Unfortunately, solar energy itself has not been fully accepted as a safe, efficient and understandable source of energy. The time is ripe, however, for all of us to become aware of the direct contributions solar energy can make to our lives and economy, most especially during this time of erratic power supply by the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). Some of the applications of solar energy in Nigeria are in Village electrification, residential / commercial building, water pumping and purification, agricultural utilization, heating sources, industrial utilization etc. Global Jnl Pure & Applied Science Vol.10(1) 2004: 223-225

'Never Expect Power Always': Electricity consumers' response to monopoly, corruption and inefficient services in Nigeria

The supply of electricity, undoubtedly the key energy source for industrial, commercial and domestic activity in the modern world, falls far short of demand in many developing countries. In Nigeria, state monopoly has compounded rather than resolved the energy crisis. The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), established by decree in 1972, epitomizes the utter failure of state monopolies in the power sector. This and other stateowned enterprises have been the target of recent attempts at reform through privatization, deregulation or liberalization. This article analyzes developments in the Nigerian power sector, focusing on internal and external factors in NEPA's crisis, reform measures by successive governments, and the plight of consumers and their reactions to these circumstances, and comments on the ongoing and proposed reforms of the power

Improved NEPA Substations On-Line Monitoring Technology Using Optical Fiber Sensors

Condition monitoring of power substations is a significant issue for the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) of Nigeria. Current methods for monitoring the condition of high voltage equipment are time consuming and often inaccurate, therefore causing catastrophic damage to the substation equipment. Recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of employing optical fiber sensors in condition monitoring of substation equipment. These sensors enhance the current monitoring method and facilitate faster responses to equipment problems. This paper briefly reviews the state of the arts, but is primarily devoted to a discussion of the new approach and future directions in condition monitoring of NEPA substation equipment.

Determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in soils within the vicinity of facilities handling refined petroleum products in Lagos metropolis

This article discusses the determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and heavy-metal contamination in soils within areas of refined petroleum products handling in Lagos metropolis. Soil samples were collected randomly from two petrol stations, two auto-mechanic workshops, and a National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) station. Control samples were taken from two low-density residential areas. TPH were estimated gravimetrically following standard methods of TPH analysis, while the heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Sites studied had higher levels of TPH and heavy metals compared to the control samples. For TPH, the petrol stations have mean values of 399.83±106.19 and 450.83±90.58 μg/g, respectively; mechanic workshops, 362.60±185.84 and 428.55±119.00 μg/g, respectively; while the NEPA station has 356.20±210.30 μg/g compared to the control mean of 26.63±4.58. It revealed that the improper handling of refined petroleum products are potential sources of soil contamination in the sampled sites. This is indicated by the statistically significant levels of TPH and heavy metals observed between the control samples and those collected from the petroleum products handling sites. Bioremediation using microorganisms and plants is recommended.

Gas turbines and the Nigerian grid systems

The grid system in which generating stations and major consumer centres are integrated is employed by the National Electric Power Authority in generating and distributing electricity in Nigeria. Gas turbines constitute more than half of the generating sets. The Nigerian grid is prone to instability which causes disturbances in the system and gas turbines are known to be sensitive to such disturbances. This paper is the result of a study of the effects of the instability of the grid on the gas turbine sets.