Nigeria: Perpetuation of Roguish and Erratic Electricity Services in Nigeria

16 March 2014

The National Electric Power Authority/Power Holding Company of Nigeria (NEPA/PHCN) was privatised on Friday November 1, 2013 when the Federal Government handed over its assets and eighteen generation, transmission and distribution successor companies to the "core investors" (privileged and wealthy Nigerians) who bought them. I do not know whether the liabilities thereof were equally privatised or written off.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) were optimistic on how the privatisation will bring positive changes to the electricity sector. They promised that the new owners will deliver steady power supply in the country, and threatened to sanction any investor who defaulted in delivering on the performance agreement they executed with the government.I do not share in theiroptimism. I fear that electricity supply may never improve in Nigeria, even with the euphoric privatisation. So far, ithas not changed from its usual, notorious epileptic nature. It was rumoured that the just-concluded centenary celebrations were powered by a stand-by generator, to avoid embarrassing power failure!

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