Electricity privatisation not adding value to people, Don tells FG

Professor Hosea Mande of Kaduna State University has called for a reversal of electricity privatization, stating that since 2013, the sector has failed to provide any significant value to the needs of the people.

He urged trade unions and stakeholders to unite and form a formidable force to oppose the privatization of the water sector to avoid repeating the challenges faced since electricity privatization.

“From 2023 to the present, the country has nothing to show for the privatization, as evidenced by numerous collapses in the national grid,” he said. He shared these insights while speaking to the press at a program organized by Public Service International (PSI) on the theme “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa,” held at R and K Palace in Kano.

Professor Mande expressed, “Today, we are here to demonstrate the impacts felt from the service-providing sectors of our government, specifically in water, electricity, and waste management.” He questioned the developments in these sectors since privatization, asking whether citizens have seen improvements or challenges.

He emphasized that these sectors are common heritage that Nigerians expect to benefit from. Before 2023, there was significant privatization in electricity, water, and waste management services. The government has taken steps to privatize them; however, research indicates considerable challenges between the government and trade unions.

According to him, there are many complaints from trade unions about not being involved in the decision-making processes when the government plans to privatize these sectors, stressing the importance of listening to their views.

Nigerians are increasingly worried that the government has handed over essential public services to private entities, yet the supply of power remains inconsistent, which has led to significant public concern. “Since 2023, there have been five national grid collapses, and in 2024, three more were recorded, with six more in 2025,” he stated.

He also highlighted issues related to metering, with people complaining about the lack of meters. “Without meters, how can people know what they are consuming or how much they are paying?” he added.

He reiterated that the government has the capacity and resources to manage these essential service sectors. If the government were to take ownership and fully invest in these areas, there would be better control, maintenance, and efficiency.

Comrade Ayuba Barde, the Zonal Organizing Secretary 1 of the National Union of Electricity Employees in the Northwest, echoed Professor Mande’s sentiments, stating, “Electricity privatization has had several negative impacts on the country and its citizens.”

He noted that before the privatization, his union raised concerns with Nigerians about the detrimental effects of the policy, which were dismissed and he and his colleagues were criticized. “However, today, Nigerians can see the reality of electricity privatization for themselves; light is no longer as available as expected.”

Barde pointed out that citizens face exorbitant bills while the private investors focus solely on profit rather than reinvesting in the system. “They did not buy these properties; they only took them over for profit,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Comrade Lawrence Ilesanmi Alo, Acting General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Service Employees, spoke against the privatization of water, labeling it a social service that should be subsidized by the government.

He argued that the government is shirking its responsibilities by involving the private sector in the production and distribution of water, which could worsen the economic burdens faced by citizens. He emphasized that private companies, being profit-driven, may not provide quality water, leading to poor treatment.

“Such untreated water can affect public health, causing diseases like malaria and typhoid fever, which will further burden the government’s health sector,” he cautioned.

He also mentioned the increasing reliance on borehole drilling as an alternative source of water.

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