Expert Advocates Creation Of Electricity Consumers’ Protection Unit

An expert on power, Princewill Okorie, has called on the federal government to establish a separate electricity consumer protection unit or agency to generate data.

Okorie, who is also the executive director of the Electricity Consumers Protection Advocacy Centre, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

He said the unit would reach consumers across the country.

”As we speak today, there is no accurate data on the investments of consumers because there is no consumer-centric approach in managing the sector.

”If they want to make the sector work, there has to be a separate electricity consumer protection unit or agency standing on its own to generate data and relate with consumers across the country.

”The unit should be able to look at the quantity of supply to consumers as well as the revenue and investment they have put into the sector, ‘’ he said.

Okorie also said that there was an urgent need to organise a national electricity consumers’ conference on the repositioning of the power sector.

”What we are clamouring for in order to reposition the sector is a national electricity consumer conference.

”Let there be an all-stakeholders’ conference, especially for the consumers, on repositioning the sector.”

Okorie said that the idea of hearing only from the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) or the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) without hearing from consumers had continued to destroy the sector.

According to him, decisions are not being taken properly, which is not good for the sector.

He said there was no effective monitoring of the sector, adding that it was important for consumers to be involved in its activities.