Total privatisation way out for Nigeria’s power crisis – expert
Total privatisation of the Nigeria’s power industry has been identified as one of the topical solutions to the lingering electricity crisis being experienced in the country.
The introduction of the measure, as well as injection of the right tariff structure that protect the poor and encourage industrial activities is believed has the potential to optimize socio-economic development.
David Olu Omoloye, chairman, Nigerian Institution of Power Engineers (NIPE), Kano State Chapter, made this observation, during an inaugural and investiture ceremony organised for him and other executives of the association.
In addition to these measures, Omoloye,, who is also the chief Technical Officer, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), said a right energy mixture was also required to fully optimize all available power resources, with special emphasis on renewable energy development balanced with non-renewable.
While, acknowledging the giant effort made by the country in de-regulating the power sector, he noted with deep concern the ever increasing gap between power demand and supply in the country.
“We are all here today to witness the inauguration of the Nigerian Institution of Power Engineers (NIPE) Kano Branch. NIPE is a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) with the mandate to promote the development of power industry in Nigeria through human capital and infrastructural development.
“Power is the heart beat of a Nation. The social economic problem in Nigeria has it root cause in the under-development of the power industry. In the community of Nations, Nigeria seems to have been left behind on the power industry development.
“The ever increasing gap between demand and supply has been a great challenge to Nigeria development. With increasing population of Nigeria not balanced with power demand, the urgent need to close the gap cannot be over-emphasized” Omoloye stated.
He added that since power development was highly capital intensive, the investment required to raise the bar of the industry to comfort zone cannot be singlehandedly by the Government.
“The solution lies total privatization of the power industry to allow capital inflow couple with right tariff structure that protect the poor and encourage industrial development also, a right energy mix is required” he further stated.
Commenting on his leadership plans for the Kano chapter of his association, Omoloye said the body would be teaming up with other stakeholders to lift the Kano state, and Nigeria at large to a position of excellence in power delivery.
“NIPE was created to focus on the power industry and scale up power development to meet Nigeria need. We in Kano chapter will team up with all stakeholders to lift the state and the nation to a position of excellence.
“Nigeria is blessed with human and material resources, all efforts would be made by the Branch to promote human capital and infrastructural development to create capacity for Kano State growth and Nigeria economy at large” he pointed out.
The high-light of the investiture was an inaugural lecture entitled “Socio-Economic Benefits of Timely Completion of Power Projects in Nigeria” delivered by S.I Birnin –Kudu, an Associate professor, who is the Head of Department, Electrical Engineering, Bayero University, Kano.
Other major activities of the event which had in attendance Israel E. Abraham, National President, NIPE, as well as Rabiu Haruna, chairman, NSE, Kano chapter, among others was the formal inauguration of the Kano executive committee of the NIPE.