The Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, has said that the federal government has concluded planes commence a power load study that would last for about six months.
Nnaji, who stated this yesterday in Abuja while receiving a United States delegation, added that the country had never embarked on a power load study, an exercise that would ascertain the actual capacity each household and industry require.
He said, the study would be more rigorous that the National Population Census, noting that it had been scheduled to be a yearly routine exercise in the country, adding that it would also generate employment for Nigerian graduates.
He noted that President Goodluck Jonathan had identified power as his first priority area on the growth that the country needed a viable power sector to grow the economy.
He said the federal government needed to address commodity production issue, adding that it was already discussing infrastructural development to produce gas and deliver it to the power plants that are being built. He added that government had to ensure that the price of gas would be such that would enable the investors to recoup their money.
He said government had the capacity to generate 6,000mega watts but it was currently generating 2,100mega watts, pointing out that government was seeking the US assistance in the provision of technical assistance in the power sector.
Nnaji urged the US to surpass the assistance the United Kingdom had rendered to the country by proving technical assistance, which the nation’s statutory funding capacity would not allow.
Responding, the Assistant Director, US Department of Energy, David Sandalow, assured the minister of technical support. ?