Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu
The new Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has been urged to chart a new roadmap to address generation, distribution and transmission challenges in the power sector.
Chairman, Momas Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL), Kola Balogun, who gave the advice during an interactive session with the media, said there was need for a roadmap that would clearly define the goals of the power sector after seven years of privatisation without achieving the desired results.
According to him, the minister should consult with the stakeholders and come up with a comprehensive roadmap that will transform the sector.
Balogun said one of the ways to reposition the power sector was through the decentralisation of the national grid. He said: “Why do we continue to have a single grid that binds all of us together?
“We need to separate it in such a way that any state or local government can go into power generation and distribution to people within its area. If the power being generated is not enough, they can even buy from the national grid.
“So, power generation and distribution should be removed from the Exclusive List and moved to the Concurrent List. That is why we are advocating for franchising, so that Nigerians will enjoy more supply.
“The entire process should be done in a way that investors are able to get back their funds while their customers will get fair bills in line with global best practices,” he said.
Balogun noted that more investment was needed in the sector to upgrade feeders, transformers and substations across the country.
He also called for an effective regulation of the sector, stressing that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) needs to be strengthened to carry out its statutory responsibilities.
