The Nigerian independent system operator has called for robust reportage to drive growth in the nation’s power sector. Managing director, and chief executive of the organisation engr. Abdu Mohammed Bello made the call during a media engagement with energy editors from across print, broadcast and online media platforms on thursday.
In his speech during the engagement, engr.Abdu decried the growing misrepresentation of facts and media reportage of developments within the Nigerian power sector noting that such misrepresentation of facts do not only demarket the sector but also create trust deficit amongst stakeholders. While acknowledging that inaccurate reportage of the sector by some journalists may not be deliberate, engr.Abdu noted that findings have shown that some of the gaps may not be unconnected with lack of clear understanding of the workings of the sector by some of the media officers who cover the beat.
The MD said the media engagement was carefully put together to forge a partnership that will birth accurate reporting of the power sector based on facts and variable data.
The partnership according to engr. Abdu Mohammed Bello is not going to be a one-off engagement but one that would be sustained and built in trust on behalf of citizens.
In his concluding remarks, and while also responding to questions by some of the journalists at the engagement, the niso MD said the organisation will continue to work in achieving the operator’s core mandate of ensuring electricity reliability, efficiency while also ensuring that the administration of Nigeria’s electricity market is done in the most transparent manner that will ensure trust and drive growth for the power sector across the various value chains. Critical stakeholders from within the power sector which include distribution companies, transmission companies and others attended the engagement.
Key resolutions reached at thursday’s parley include the need to draft a schedule that would provide the platform for a quarterly engagement between niso, media, and other stakeholders including a promise by the niso team to respond timely when certain information are required by media officers in the cause of doing their work.
The Nigerian independent systems operator was birthed in 2023 following the passage of the electricity act of 2023 which unbundled the transmission company of Nigeria into two separate entities, NISO and TSP, the transmission service provider.
