Nigerian Senator introduces bill to ban generators, sellers to be jailed for 10 years

A Nigerian senator this afternoon at a Senate plenary session introduced a bill to ban generators and jail sellers for 10 years.

Bima Enagi, a senator representing Niger south introduced the bill at 15:27pm today seeking to outlaw power generating sets better known as ”generators” in the country.

The bill, which already passed first reading proposes to ban the importation and use of all kinds of generators.

This is weird and funny because a lot of Nigerians depend on generators for electricity generation for their homes and businesses.

The country currently generates approximately 4,000mw of electricity but distributes about 3,000mw for a population of about 200 million.

A copy of the bill states that anybody who imports or sells generators into Nigeria risks at least 10 years of imprisonment.

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.