POWER supply from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger was stopped yesterday, as sanctions against the neighbouring country by the Economic Community of West African States increases.
Recall that on Sunday, ECOWAS, led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, decided on sanctions against the military personnel in Niger who toppled President-elect Mohamed Bazoum’last week.
On July 26, officers of the Presidential Guard arrested Bazoum and declared him deposed.
In addition to a one-week ultimatum to restore constitutional order and the suspension of financial transactions with Niger, ECOWAS decreed the freezing of “all service transactions, including energy transactions.”
Impeccable sources in Nigeria’s power sector confirmed the development, while the AFP also reported on Wednesday that Nigeria had cut its electricity supply to Niger.
The international medium quoted a source close to the management of the Nigerien Electricity Company, popularly known as Nigelec, adding that the move was in line with the sanctions decided by ECOWAS.
However, industry experts called for caution and advised that the Federal Government should be diplomatic in handling the matter, as NIGELEC was under contract with a power firm in Nigeria, Mainstream Energy, for the supply of electricity.
Nigeria exports electricity to the Republics of Benin and Niger based on various Transaction Service Agreements.
The report confirmed that Nigeria exported electricity to Transcorp-SBEE and Mainstream-NIGELEC.
SBEE is Société Beninoise d’Énergie Electrique, a Benin Republic power firm, while NIGELEC, which is Société Nigérienne d’Electricité or Nigerien Electricity Society, is a power utility firm in Niger Republic.
“Nigeria disconnected since yesterday (Tuesday) the high voltage line that carries electricity to Niger,” AFP quoted its source.
It stated that a NIGELEC agent, on his part, indicated that the capital, Niamey, was “supplied, thanks to local production.”
According to a report by NIGELEC, the neighbouring country’s sole supplier, in 2022, 70 per cent of Niger’s share of electricity came from purchases from the Nigerian company – Mainstream.
