Four years on: Divergent views still trail privatisation of Nigeria’s power sector
Power sector stakeholders have argued for and against the performance of privatisation drive as it impact on the electricity supply four years after the process was concluded.
While some are of the views that there has been a marginal improvement in electricity supply, others insist it is not at the level that was promised by the champions of privatisation nor has it matched the expectations of the people.
Eyo Ekpo, Executive, GE – Transportation and Former Commissioner, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) while supporting the topic insists that there is only a right way to run any sector which is privatisation.
Chantelle Abdul, Chief Executive Officer, MOJEC Power and Meters opines that Nigeria power sector operators need to stop pointing fingers at each other and work together.
“Privatisation is the best way to allocate resources and make any sector better”. Segun Adaju from Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria said.
Joe Ajaero, General Secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees and National President, United Labour Congress in opposing the topic said the whole concept of privatisation is an ideology the country cannot generate power ideologically.
Ajaero observed that privatisation wasn’t transparent when it was implemented saying that it is a post industrialisation concept.
According to him, “Power generation does not respond to market dynamics, how you can sell a commodity that isn’t available”.
He wonders why Nigeria as a country who rushed into privatisation today is trying to switch to nationalisation.
Sam Amadi, former Chairman/CEO Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission while also opposing the theme privatisation is the right answer for Nigeria’s power sector problems.
Amadi, reiterated Ajaero views that privatisation when it’s an ideological framework about how the sector should be managed is difficult to do and rarely done well.
To him, “It’s not a question of whether we have a choice; we don’t! We must go to our private sector and get them to spend the money we need for our infrastructure”, he said.
He further said the assumption of privatisation was that it will do the right thing because if you don’t have good corporate governance over the private sector it will still fail.
“The bulk trader is there to create worthiness, but the entities cannot even trade among themselves. Reform is not only about privatisation, privatisation is only a part of the power sector reform”, he said.
Kelechi Ewuzie