- 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.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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