Incessant power outage fire
Decrying the negative impact of the incessant power outage and fire outbreaks like the volcanic eruptions, that left behind huge damages affecting homes, goods and properties in the country, there has not been a lasting solution to halt the horrific situations.
Indeed, incessant fire outbreaks come in a flash and not only does it happen in markets but have rather become a natural disaster that has caused huge losses across the country.
Only recently, a building in the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was razed down by fire.
A palace staffer in Ile-Ife, who said he has no authority to speak on the matter, said the building was burnt to the ground.
He said the incident, which occured at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, was triggered by an electricity power surge which caused some electrical appliances in the apartment to explode.
The palace spokesperson, Moses Olafare, later confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.
Fire poses a serious threat to both animate and inanimate objects. It affects the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate, the government and the citizens, the families, friends, firefighters, and the community.
The fire outbreak at homes, cars, shops, markets, offices, or community centres leave no room for planning or dialogue as several cases have been reported both at homes, market and business places.
The only option in most cases is for the victims to prevent it by putting out the fire and if not, to escape unhurt so that one will live to tell the story rather than being consumed by the inferno.
In the last few months, Nigerians have been inundated with several fire bursts that have destroyed people and public properties.
In a detailed survey, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, says Nigeria has recorded over 2,056 cases of fire incidents with a loss of over N1 trillion of properties in 2022.
The GOC, represented by Brig.-Gen. Ogochukwu Ugeleka, said available data indicated that domestic fire accounted for over 41 per cent of the total number of fire incidents in neighbouring Ghana.
He explained that the seminar was part of yearly calendar of the Army to engage barracks communities on fire prevention.
According to him, there has been increasing cases of fire due to population growth, unstable electricity, negligence and illegal electrical connections, among others. Lagbaja said the Nigerian Army was not left out of fire incidents which had damaged its property and endangered the lives of personnel and their families in barracks and cantonments.
The GOC further said that fire incidents had also led to loss of critical operational assets, thereby affecting the morale of troops and their operational efficiency.
He therefore said it was imperative to sustain sensitisation on fire prevention and management in all military barracks.
The GOC said that the division had held sensitisation campaigns on fire prevention and management and set up committees in all formations and units to drive the campaign.
Lagbaja implored the participants to take advantage of the opportunity for the benefit of all, and thanked the Department of Army Logistics for organising the seminar.
However, the Nigerian electricity law consists of the body of law, which regulates the generation, transmission, distribution and trading of electricity in Nigeria.
The principal law that regulates electricity in Nigeria is the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 CAP E7, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (EPSRA).
This law governs the Nigerian electricity industry including electricity generation, transmission, distribution, trading and supply.
The Act was enacted to cater for the formation of companies to take over the functions, assets, liabilities, and staff of the National Electric Power Authority, to develop competitive electricity markets and also to establish the NERC.
The Act is aimed at enforcing performance standards, it provides for the determination of tariffs and consumer rights protection. It also provides for the licensing requirements to operate in the electricity sector.
The Act was enacted in 2005 with a view to “Create efficient market structures, within clear regulatory frameworks, that encourage more competitive markets for electricity generation and sales (marketing), which, at the same time, are able to attract private investors and ensure economically sound development of the system.’
Section 62 of the Act stipulates that no one can generate, transmit or distribute electricity without a license issued pursuant to this act. The section states that “No person except in accordance with a license issued pursuant to this Act shall construct, own or operate an undertaking other than an undertaking specified in subsection 2 of this Section, or in any way engage in the business of; electricity generation, excluding captive generation; electricity transmission; system operation; electricity distribution; or trading in electricity.”
Section 70 of the Act provides for the requirements for licensing to operate in the electricity sector of which NERC is the body responsible for issuing licences.
The government agency in Nigeria that regulates electricity is the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
While Section 31 of the EPSRA established the NERC, Section 32 listed the Commission’s principal objectives.
The Commission is saddled with the responsibility of licensing operators, determining operating codes and standards, establishing customer rights and obligations and also to set cost-reflective industry tariffs.
Prior to the enactment of the EPSRA 2005, there existed the National Electric Power Policy 2001 which provided the framework for the reform and liberalisation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The objective of the policy was to ensure that NESI meets the electricity demand in Nigeria. The policy also laid out a framework that provides for the restructuring of the former state-owned utility.
This Act established the Nigerian Electricity Management Agency as the regulatory body responsible for the enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations, Technical Inspection, Testing and Certification of all categories of Electrical Installations, Electricity Meters and instruments.
This is to ensure efficient production and delivery of safe, reliable and sustainable electric power supply and guarantee the safety of lives and property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), and other allied industries/workplaces and premises.
Properties worth millions of naira are destroyed by fire daily in Nigeria and lives are lost. Many go unreported. But do we give a thought to what causes fire in homes, offices, shops or our surroundings and how best to avoid them?
The Operational Commander for Federal Fire service, Ime Eyo advised that those who go to work should put off all appliances at home to avoid voltage surge that may follow when power is restored after an outage. The same applies for the office when leaving.
