Reduce Political Interference In Electricity Business, Power Engineers Urge Federal Govt

Engineers operating in the nation’s power sector have urged the federal government to reduce the level of political interference in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to boost the performance of the sector.

National president, Nigerian Institute of Power Engineers (NIPE), Engr. Israel Abraham, urged the government to moderate the political interference in the power sector for Nigerians to have improved electricity supply.

Speaking during the International Power Engineering Exhibition and Conference (IPECON), held in Abuja, Abraham noted that the politics in the power sector has made it to decay and was still decaying.

He lamented that though the budget on power in Nigeria appears to be one of the biggest it was not reflecting on the quality of power supply.

This, the NIPE president said was because the power sector has few professionals at the helm of most of the critical operations in the industry. Abraham said this must change as the institute is currently pushing for a in the National Assembly to help it bill so  clearly identify can operate in the power sector and they can be held responsible and accountable for the successes and the failures within the sector.

Chairman of the central planning committee of IPECON, Prof. Steve Ogaji said Nigerians had hoped to avoid using candles and generators after the 2013 sector privatization.

“Contrary to these expectations, the electricity sector appears to be struggling. The sector has become highly politicised, leading to increased restiveness and apathy.”

The vice chancellor of Nile University and conference host, Prof. Dilli Dogo, said the power sector seems to have moved from a state of just crisis and if one is not careful, it could move to a state of collapse and chaos.

The 2022 IPECON which has as its theme: ‘Nigerian Electricity Power Industry in Crises: Separating ‘Undue’ Politics from Power Market”, was organised by Nigerian Institute of Power Engineers (NIPE), in partnership with Nile University of Nigeria.