Bima Enagi, senator representing Niger south, has introduced a bill seeking to outlaw electric generators in the country.
The bill, which passed first reading at plenary on Wednesday, proposes to ban the importation and use of all kinds of generators.
A lot of Nigerians depending on generators for electricity generation in their homes and businesses due to irregular power supply.
The country currently generates approximately 4,000mw of electricity but distributes about 3,000mw for a population of close to 200 million.
The bill states that anybody who imports or sells generators into Nigeria risks at least ten years of imprisonment.
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It states that anybody who: “Imports generating sets; or knowingly sells generating sets shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years”.
It added that all persons are hereby directed to “stop the use of electricity generating sets which run on diesel/petrol/kerosene of all capacities with immediate effect in the country”.
The bill, however, exempts generating sets used for “essential services”.
It defined essential services to include medical purposes (hospitals and nursing homes and healthcare facilities), airports and railway stations/ services.
Also listed as essential services are elevators, escalators, research institutions and such facilities that require 24 hours electric power supply.
It added that the approval for exclusion shall be obtained from the minister of power.
