Nigeria Seeks to Meter Electricity, Boost Output

 　　Only 40 percent of Nigerians have access to electricity and less than half of those people receive their power through meters that measure how much electricity they use. In Abuja, the capital, stealing and overcharging for electricity usage are common practices - so much so that officials say the problem amounts to a national emergency.

　　At a hearing in the Nigerian capital, a panel of energy officials listens while community members report on their electricity woes¹, which are many and common among urban Nigerians.  In the rural areas, access to electricity is not all that common.

　　Joel Oziri says he is charged almost $20 a week for electricity that is available just a few hours a day.  He paid for a meter years ago, so the electric company could measure his usage, but it never arrived.  When he demanded they deliver the meter before he would pay, his electrical power was cut.

　　“They will cut off and tell you, you have the right to pay. Whether you like or not, you have to pay it.  Which is unfair,” said Oziri.

　　Officials say complaints like this are only part of why metering is a key factor in developing the electricity sector², which is essential to developing Nigeria.  The lack of electrical power plays a role in almost every problem Nigeria faces - from security, to poor national health, to economic problems.  Nigeria is Africa’s most populous³ country and largest oil exporter, but it does not have refineries⁴ to make use of its own oil supply.

　　As the Nigerian government seeks to privatize the energy sector to boost electrical output, officials say customers can steal electricity and companies can overcharge for usage because many electrical connections are not metered.

　　Metering

　　Shittu Shaibu is the strategy and project manager at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.  He says without more metering, the addition of private companies to Nigeria’s electricity sector will lead to an explosion of lawsuits⁵.  He says the current system could also open the door for international corporations to exploit regular Nigerians.

　　"Metering is critical because without metering, the distribution companies cannot first and foremost get their revenue," said Shaibu. "And secondly⁶, there will be a lot of exploitation of the customers."

　　Shaibu says 60 percent of the people who have access to electricity are not metered and this lack of organization can discourage potential investors⁷.

　　Other Nigerians say metering energy is important, but not nearly as important as finding a way to get electricity into their homes.  Alexander Akinwale, a shop owner who lives in the capital, says his neighborhood has not had electricity for the past two years.

　　“The first issue now is to have the light.  When we have the light then any issue of or any challenges that come, we will tackle it,” said Akinwale.

　　Industry regulators say they are conducting a nationwide inquiry⁸ on electrical metering.  They say they are devising a plan to solve the metering problem, regardless of whose interests may be at stake.

1 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

4 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

5 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

6 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

7 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

8 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。