REPORT BY ANTHONY EBIGIE, SENIOR ENERGY CORRESPONDENT.
The Nigerian Electricity Space Despite Previous Reforms Dating Back To Over Two Decades Continue To Suffer Different Levels Of Challenges Leaving Several Nigerians In Pains With Businesses Grappling For Survival Amidst Continued Failure By Distribution Companies To Optimise Their Operations Through Improved Service Delivery To Electricity Consumers Across The Country.
Though The New Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration Has Just Commenced Processes Intended To Addressing Some Of The Key Challenges Confronting The Nation’s Electricity Sector Value Chain, Through The New Electricity Sector Reform Act, Which Provides Certain Leverages For Sub National Governments To Generate Their Own Electricity, It Is However Important To Look Back At Attempts By Previous Governments To Reform The Power Sector Space, And The Challenges Which Hindered These Previous Efforts From Achieving It’s End Goals, Which Aims At Improved Service Delivery In The Overall Interest Of Electricity Consumers Nationwide, The Idea Is To Understand The Journey So Far, To Enable The New Government Properly Understand The Gaps That Needed To Be Filled In The Years Ahead.
The New Administration At The Inception Of Democratic Governance In 1999 Started The Journey Of Reforming The Electricity Sector, With The Adoption Of The National Integrated Power Project In 2004, Which Aims To Boost Power Supply Through The Launch Of Gas Powered Stations.
On The Other Hand, The Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 Establishing The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC Provided The Basis For The Privatisation Of The Sector, And Subsequently The Implementation Of The Roadmap For Power Sector Reform Act Of August 2010, Which Eventually Paved The Way For The Full Privatisation Of The Sector On November, 1ST, 2013.
However, what Is Of Note, Is That The Sector Is Yet To Benefit From These Attempts To Move The Sector To Greater Height For Optimal Efficiency, Amidst Challenges Of Corruption, And Lack Of Transparency.
A Previous Report By The Socioeconomic Rights And Accountability Project( SERAP) Puts The Total Figures Of Squandered Funds Meant For Providing Regular Electricity Supply For Nigerians Since 1999 At Over 11 Trillion Naira, This Is Just As The Vision 2020 For The Power Sector Under The Previous Power Sector Reforms Envisaged 40,000 Megawatt Of Electricity, Regrettably The Year 2023 Makes It Exactly Three Years After The Target Of The Vision 2020 Projection, With Nigerians Still Struggling Between 5,000 And 6,000 Megawatts On The Average, A Far Cry From The 40,000 Envisaged Under The Vision.
With A New Electricity Sector Reform Bill Signed
Into An Act, Just Days After Assuming Office As President, Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, What Options are There For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, If He Must Achieve Where Others Have Failed In The Past, To Ensuring Maximum Efficiency In Terms Of Service Delivery In The Nation’s Power Sector?
Jide Shuaib, Is A Member #Whereisthelight# Campaign Group, An Advocacy Tink Tank, Pushing For Reforms In The Nation’s Electricity Sector Value Chain, While Touching On The State Of The Electricity Sector In Nigeria, Shuaib Described The Nigeria’s Power Sector As a Complex One That Needs Urgent Interventions, Shuaib In Setting Agenda For The New Administration On Power Sector, Hinged On The Need To Enhance Regulatory Framework, That Will Guarantee Transparency And Accountability, By So Doing According To The Power Sector Reform Advocate, Corruption Which As Longed Defined The Image Of The Power Sector Environment In Nigeria, Would Have Been Significantly Reduced .
Acknowledging That It Is The Mandate Of The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission To Look Into Issues Of Tariff And Metering, Shuaib, However Believes That The Tinubu’s Administration Could Look In The Direction Of Creating An Independent Body Whose Mandate Would Also Be To Look Into Issues Of Tariff And Metering ,The Independent Body According To Him Should Play On A Complementary Role To NERC , Given The Overburden Responsibilities Already Before The Regulatory Commission.
The Power Sector Reform advocate Also Talked On The Need For More Private Sector Participation, If The Tinubu’s Administration Intends To Achieve The Much Desired Efficiency For The Nation’s Electricity Sector, While Also Pushing For Applicable Legislations That Would Allow Sub National Governments And Local Governments Generate Their Electricity, And Possibly Market To States That May Not Be In Position To Generate Independently In Areas Of Their Energy Needs.
Speaking Further On Capacity Building, Shuaib Called On The New Government, To Explore Capacity For Critical Stakeholders Within The Sector, As A Required Catalyst To Drive Development , Just As He Pushed For More Interactive Platforms Among Stakeholders, To Enable All Interest Groups Share Ideas And Feedbacks On The Way Forward For The Power Sector In Nigeria .
