Speaker Abbas calls for collaboration among stakeholders to improve reliability of national power grid

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has pledged the support of the National Assembly for the ongoing reform of the Nigerian power sector, calling for collaboration among all stakeholders to improve the reliability of the national power grid.

Abbas made this observation at the opening ceremony of the International Power Engineering Exhibition and Conference in Abuja on Thursday.

He also called for the integration of renewable energy into the country’s energy mix to enhance efficiency and sufficiency.

At the conference, themed “Birthing an Effective Electric Power Sector of the 21st Century: The Role of Professional Practice Regulation,” the Speaker, represented by the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Power, Rep August Gana, noted that over the years, the sector has undergone several reforms and privatizations aimed at improving efficiency and reliability.

He said that despite these efforts, the sector continues to face numerous challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, transmission and distribution losses, and insufficient generation and distribution capacities.

According to the Speaker, “The transition from National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), while marked with optimism, was also met with skepticism, leading to the comical phrase ‘Problem Has Changed Names.’ Yet, despite these challenges, we have seen remarkable progress, especially through the privatization of the sector with successive generation companies (GenCos) and distribution companies (DisCos). This shift has opened the door to more participants and anticipated investment, providing us with an opportunity to redefine the future of power in Nigeria.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, lamented that the poor performance of the power sector has left about half of Nigerians without electricity.

He noted that Nigeria’s power sector faces numerous challenges, including frequent grid collapses, inadequate generation capacity, inefficient transmission and distribution networks, and regulatory hurdles that impede progress.

He stated that the nation currently generates approximately 4,500 MW for a population exceeding 200 million, leaving about half of the citizens without reliable electricity access.

Despite possessing vast energy resources, he lamented that the country continues to grapple with significant challenges in power generation and distribution, stressing that this stark reality underscores the necessity for a collaborative effort to reform and revitalize the power sector.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN), Engr Israel Abraham, explained that power is central to every index of development and a robust economy, believing that as the world gets it right and provides good, efficient, and affordable power to its citizens and industries, with new ideas on how to manage available power through smarter apparatus and control, most of the issues captured in the subthemes will remain relevant.

He stated that the ultimate goal of the international power exhibition and conference is to provide an uncommon syndicated platform that will host major players in the power sector worldwide, with special reference to Nigeria.