Experts suggest solutions to problems facing power sector in Nigeria

September 28, 2022

Experts in the power sector of the Nigerian economy have suggested ways out of the numerous problems ravaging the sector.

Speaking with the Tribune Online on the sidelines of the maiden lecture series by the Nigeria Institution of Power Engineers (NIPE), Ibadan chapter themed: “Role And Responsibilities Of Stakeholders In Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry”, the experts noted that until some drastic steps are taken, the power sector will remain problematic.

A former General Manager at Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Niyi Oladele, who featured as one of the speakers at the event said: “It is rather unfortunate for us in Nigeria that we do not have a single company that manufactures electrical equipment. All we use at the TCN majorly are from abroad.

“But when you come to the distribution sector, you can say for instance electric wire poles are made here. But for the cable, transformers and others, we do not manufacture them in Nigeria.

“The power sector is a capital-intensive industry which needs government intervention on a very large scale, otherwise we will continue to have the problem of epileptic power supply. There is the need to pump more money into the sector and regulate it accordingly and see that it is actually working optimally.

“Right from small things such as isolators, breakers, transformers they are all imported from abroad. The interest of the government in the power sector is very low and when you have low generation, there is no way you will not have this issue. The moment we rev up our power generation to times two of what we are getting now, there will be stable power supply in Nigeria.”

Also sharing his thoughts on the topic of discourse, Past Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ibadan branch, Mr Adedamola Falade-Fatila, said:”For me sincerity on the part of every stakeholder in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). This involves the government, policymakers, professionals, regulators and the generation and distribution companies.

“The Transmission Company (TCN), is still largely in the hands of the government. We all have to be sincere with ourselves to make a deliberate, conscious calculated attempt at approaching where exactly we think we want to be as a nation.

“A situation whereby you sell distribution companies to non-power practitioners and unprofessional for business, political or nepotistic reasons will not take any serious country anywhere. And that is the major reason we are still where we are today after almost a decade of claiming to have privatised the industry.”

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