The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, has requested the intervention of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, following the disconnection of various Nigerian Army barracks and cantonments by power distribution companies (DisCos) due to an outstanding electricity debt of N42 billion.
During his visit to the Minister of Power in Abuja, the Army chief appealed for assistance, expressing concerns over the security risks posed by the blackouts in Army facilities. Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja highlighted instances of decomposing corpses in Army Hospital mortuaries due to the blackouts, which prompted protests from the deceased’s family members.
In response, Adelabu assured the Nigerian Army of his willingness to engage in discussions with power distribution companies to address the N42 billion electricity debt burden. However, he emphasized that the debt could not be completely forgiven but could be restructured, contingent upon regular payments from the Nigerian Army.
Adelabu further pointed out that the challenges in the power sector extended beyond debt repayment, citing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, theft, billing inefficiency, metering gaps, gas supply shortages, and disruptions caused by explosive attacks on transmission stations in volatile areas. He acknowledged the complexity of these issues and emphasized the need for long-term solutions.
While acknowledging that power outages were not unique to Army barracks but a national issue, Adelabu urged power distribution companies to consider implementing a monthly repayment plan instead of consolidating the entire debt into meter readings.
Additionally, the Minister pledged to explore collaboration opportunities with development partners to install Solar PVs and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as alternative power sources in Army barracks and cantonments.
During the meeting, Lt. General Lagbaja reiterated the urgency of addressing the power outage consequences in Army formations, noting that some barracks and cantonments had been experiencing total blackout since January. He emphasized the difficulties in raising funds to settle the entire debt and appealed for a resolution similar to the liquidation done in 2005 by the then President.
Furthermore, Lagbaja assured the Minister of the Army’s unwavering support in developing intelligence strategies to combat electricity infrastructure vandalism.