Nigerian president calls for addressing power shortage situation

Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua said his administration will take measures to handle power shortage problem across the country.

In a meeting with key stakeholders in the power sector, he said the country is bedeviled by crippling energy crisis, with power outages more regular than supplies.

The two-hour meeting was attended by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

Yar'Adua said all the heads of institutions connected with the power sector should re-strategize and come up with acceptable work- plan to fast-track his resolve to tackle the energy crisis within the shortest possible period.

He said, "We must solve this problem because until we do that we cannot address the fundamental problems of our economy like poverty and unemployment."

"Even while the circumstances may be different, if we can achieve what we did in the telecoms sector, we can equally solve the power and energy problem," he said.

"My ultimate goal is to achieve what we did with the GSM; we will partner with the private sector and put in as much investment as we should,'' he said.

The president cautioned the stakeholders to be ready to come up with plans or he would declare a state of emergency in the sector, adding, "Once I do, I will take no excuse."

Source: Xinhua