Since the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSR) was enacted in 2005 and the Road Map for the Power Sector was enacted in 2010, the improvements made in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) were being undermined by issues like gas constraint, Right of Way, vandalism, and non-cost reflective tariff, among others.
The federal government expressed regret yesterday over the NESI’s sluggish progress.
Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Power, Fashedemi Temitope, stated at the opening of the fifth edition of the National Council on Power (NACOP) in Abuja that the difficulties have resulted in NESI liquidity and, as a result, insufficient power to meet demand.
He stated that NACOP was organized to this end to pique the interest of stakeholders in the power sector at all levels of government and private organizations.
According to him, the fifth NACOP, which has as the theme, ‘Sustaining and Improving Electricity Supply through the Power Sector Value Chain for Socioeconomic Growth’ will help generate and articulate ideas towards the development of the industry with a view to formulating sustainable policies and initiatives for improved service delivery in the NESI.
He explained that the Council is expected to design an action log to track the implementation of the decisions and directives at the meeting and ensure policy initiatives that that will make available sustainable power supply within the shortest possible time.
“It should also fast track government’s effort in diversifying the energy mix, promote renewable energy sources from solar, wind, biomass, hydros and coal to power, increase electricity access to unserved and underserved pre-urban, rural areas or areas with difficult terrains as well as strengthen the existing partnership in the sector,” he said.
