afrol News, 9 June - The Nigeria’s Federal Government says the insecurity in the Niger Delta has greatly affected the ability of the government to deploy the 4,500 megawatts of electricity being generated in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Steering Committee on the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), the Niger Delta crisis weighs heavily on the Nigerian power sector.

The committee said only 2,500 megawatts of electricity generated were being transmitted, stating some host communities where the power projects were sited were making it difficult to meet the target for laying the transmission lines.

It said though over 4,500 megawatts of electricity are available, inadequate supply of gas, pipeline vandalism and security concerns have resulted in the delivery of only 2,500 megawatts.

The committee attributed the problem to the destruction of one of the pipelines that supply gas by militants as a result of the offensive in the Delta against rebel groups by the Joint Task Force (JTF).

The recent escalation of clashes between government troops and rebels has also posed yet another new challenge in the distribution of power in the whole country. The Niger Delta militants have threatened to blow up more pipes in retaliation against government offensive.

A number of rebel groups including Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta claim to be fighting for a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth for local people, while that government has stubbornly rejected any call for negotiations until the militants have laid their arms down.

The rebellion and violence in the delta has cut Nigeria's oil output by about a fifth since early 2006. A number of armed groups operate across the region, launching attacks on oil installations and pipelines, as well as abducting oil workers and local officials.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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