Victor Akinkuolie,Ado Ekiti

Trapped in inefficiency , poor service delivery over the years, experts have called for the  total overhaul of the country’s power sector.

They however lauded the recent move by the federal government which led to the dissolution of some DISCOS’ Boards over non performance and poor service delivery .

The affected Discos’ boards taken over by the federal government included that of Kano, Benin and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Companies.

They however said the sack of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) board was not enough to revamp the ailing power sector, but should declare a state of emergency on power sector in order to sanitise the system and bring in  experts to invest in the sector.

They said the sector when it was earlier privatized, was handed over to incompetent investors that led the country to its present state, adding that the DISCOS since they came on board had compounded the nation’s power woes.

The experts who said the development is long overdue and coming up at a time some parts of the country needed electricity most, however, stressed that the problem plaguing the sector cannot be solved by this move alone.

They described the performance of the current electricity distribution companies as a disservice to electricity consumers and the country at large.

They submitted that if the Federal government is not careful, sacking of the Boards may lead to needless litigations that may not yield the needed positive results.

The experts opined that the federal government should ensure that the operational conditions given to the new boards will keep them on their toes to avoid being kicked out too for woeful performance.

Those who spoke with The Hope include: Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Federal University of Oye and Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Dr. Wole Balogun and Celestine Nonso, Energy experts, Mr Segun Ajiboye

Others are: Dr Edamisan Ikuemonisan from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Dr Adebayo Farouq, an electrical engineer.

Electrical Engineer and a lecturer in the department of Electrical/Electronics, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin,  Celestine Nonso said the government has made the right move but stressed that the problem plaguing the sector cannot be solved by this move alone.

“The power sector is a complex one, it needs a holistic approach and total overhaul, if government now want to look at it from one perspective, it may end up missing the whole thing.

“The management is one thing and the network itself is another thing, this sack and handing over to another set of individuals is what we have been doing in the past with no definite result, this is a move in the right direction, but other aspects should as well be considered so as to have a different result.

“Over the years, we have been sacking people but we do not have capable hands that will advise the government. For instance, the same transmission lines that has been used to carry power for years are still the same cable still being used for power transmission till now and remember these cables have lifespan, same thing goes for transformers.

“When you stress them beyond their capacity, they get weak over time and are bound to breakdown, so aside from replacing the management staff, these facilities have to be overhauled as well and the government must as well ensure that competent personnel who will be able to man these facilities are engaged at the management level.

“The Minister for Power for instance is not even an engineer so in this case, it will be difficult for him to understand and key into whatever advise being given, he may probably be considering the economic implication of procuring modern facilities without looking at the professional implication of these materials on the network.”

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Electrical Engineer,  Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) Dr Wole Balogun, commended the Federal Government over the sacking of the boards of the electricity distribution companies, noting that the move is long overdue.

Balogun said the development apart from being long overdue is also coming up at a time some parts of the country needed electricity most.

On the implications for the country, the senior lecturer said some of the distribution companies may approach the court to seek for redress and use legal actions to obtain injunction on the activities of other prospective private organisations who may want to participate in the privatisation.

For the electricity sector in Nigeria to move forward, Balogun suggested the need for government to internalize the losses in the DisCos and GenCos, adding that this could be done by regulatory interventions.

The university lecturer also submitted that the country also needs to be smart to benchmark operators and closely enforce while revising operators franchise through a credible regulatory process that is peer-reviewed so that those who can’t deliver lose to those who could.

Balogun, added that there was need for new private-public partnerships that would expand the capacity where the DisCos can’t, or help them to perform.

He described the privatisation of the electricity sector embarked upon by the government few years ago as a ruse.

He however suggested that government need to invite new prospective buyers.

In a similar development, an energy expert and a retired staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Mr Segun Ajiboye, who shared similar opinion with Balogun, commended the Federal Government for the planned restructuring in the power sector.

The former PHCN staff said since the government has decided to terminate and reverse the privatisation exercise, he envisaged that there might be lawsuits due to the earlier agreement between the government and the former holders of the contract.

He suggested that the only solution for the power sector to improve, ” the solution does not lie in a full-scale reversal of the privatisation of the sector. What should happen is to improve the regulation of the industry by setting high standards and monitoring compliance vigorously. If that is done, companies that do not measure up to standards will just be acquired by more competent ones,” he stated.

He explained that while the sector needs urgent attention in a bit to improve and serve the people of the country, “the solution entails a drastic approach that would either make the new  investors to perform, or give way, but what step must follow due process.

Dr Edamisan Ikuemonisan from the Department of Agricultural Economics, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, noted that on the surface, FG’s intervention was long overdue because the Discos since they came on board had compounded the nation’s power woes.

While noting these may just be a mere rolling stone that may not gather any stone.

 “Let me say this, to some Nigerians who have been following up with activities in the Discos since 2013, we knew all things were not well. Till today, they keep giving the public all manners of excuses for their failure. In the last seven years, it was evident that they were distressed and all short-term interventions yielded no meaningful results.”

While pointing out that the move by the Federal Government would not enhance efficiency, improve distribution or increase access to power by consumers, the seasoned agric economist said, “however, if the intention is genuine, even though I am not expecting sudden result immediately, I know it may take some time to bear some useful fruits. Above all, BPE needs to continually  engage with the public on issue like this.”

An Ado-Ekiti based Electrician and a member of Electrical Contractor Association of Nigeria (LECAN) Mr Rabiu Adeyinka, noted that the country needs people, who have the foresight and understand what it takes to address issues in the sector.

Acknowledging the progress made with power generation by the government, the Electrician said there was need to breakdown the national grid to smaller units that could be managed efficiently and effectively, stressing that the DisCos must recapitalise, or the government should bring in more core investors, and further breakdown the DisCos.

Dr Adebayo Farouq, an electrical engineer and the principal partner of First Man Energy and Engineering Consultants, Abuja said this development will pave way for those willing to bring competency in the business of power distribution in Nigeria.

According to him, this may scare away investors and stir up uncertainty in the sector since it may be seen as a ploy to take up the companies by the federal government and a means of toying with the privatisation of the sector.

Farouq however appealed to the federal government to be sincere with the sack by appointing competent hands in place of the sacked ones.

Additional reports by
Tunde Ayedoju,
Jimoh Ahmed,
Samuel Edu,
Adedotun Aderoboye &
Kayode Afolabi