Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, the new Minister of Power, has been called to examine the power sector by electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to guarantee the stability of electricity supplies. The consumers in the state said that the examination of the power sector will boost electricity supply. The President of Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Mr. Kunle Olubiyo, implored the minister to scrutinize the ecosystem of the power sector and its regulatory institutions. According to Olubiyo, appraisal of performance should be done by the minister of all agencies in the last decade, through the use of benchmarks of Key Performance Indicators (KPI).
Adelabu was implored by Olubiyo to use experts as working team and advisers in order to achieve the desire of the Federal Government by supplying Nigerians with uninterrupted and stable electricity. He urged Adelabu to engage the process of the overdue review of the privatization of the sector. According to the Minister, privatization failed to bring forth positive results after 10 years of its implementation. He added that the evaluation should be carried out in all value chain of the energy sector including generation, transmission, and distribution.
The fixation of cost should be based on some considerations.
Also, this system will address issues relating to load rejection, poor remittances culture, sector liquidity challenges and increased expansion of the huge metering gaps. Likewise, load shedding and incessant power supply collapses, weak transmission infrastructure causing a decline in transmission wheeling capacity, low generation per capital, payment of generation capacity, tariff shortfalls and market shortfalls will also be evaluated and addressed. There will be elimination of near zero governance structure, poor quality of services, and load rejection by electricity distribution licensees at the downstream sub sector.
President of the Association For Public Policy Analysis, Mr. Princewill Okorie, stated that the power sector’s privatization was mainly to divert the control of the distribution and generation of electricity from the government. Also, Okorie emphasized that the provision of adequate, stable, and regular electricity supply to consumers at affordable cost was the major reason for privatization. The fixation of cost should be based on the consideration of many factors such as provision of meters, wires, poles, and transformers for enhancement of network expansion and maintenance.
There should be impartial enforcement of regulations.
Consumers should enjoy satisfactory service delivery as they are required to pay tariffs which will ensure investors make profit and recover their investment. Also, there should be impartial enforcement of regulations that were enacted for the protection of the interest of investors and consumers to promote justice, fair play, and the principle of the rule of law in the sector. Nevertheless, he stated that consumers’ interests, willingness, and satisfaction were excluded from the implementation of the privatization policy in the sector.
He said that a tariff evaluation has been exercised several times since the commencement of privatization in 2013, neglecting consumer satisfaction impact assessment and evaluation. He appealed to the Minister of electricity to advocate the delivery of consumer protective energy policies to all Nigerians in the power sector. An electricity consumer, Mr. Reuben Okoro, said that delivery of stable electricity is expected from the minister to enhance businesses without constant usage of generators. Also, a welder resident in Lugbe, FCT, stated that the minister should overhaul the sector.
FG will provide Nigerians with accessible and stable power supply.
A Fashion Designer in Area 3, Garki FCT, Mrs. Nosayaba Odigie, expressed her concerns to the minister to address the issues of epileptic electricity supply. 45 new ministers were inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu as members of the Federal Executive Council, on August 21st. Having assumed office, Mr. Adebayo, the Minister of Power, affirmed that the Federal Government will provide Nigerians with accessible and stable power supply. He emphasized that businesses, schools, industries, and homes will enjoy the government efforts. Adelabu said that the Nigerian Electricity Act, 2023 will be leveraged on by the ministry to improve power supply in the country.
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