President Bola Tinubu has put forward the nomination of Abdullahi Ramat to serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
In addition, he also named Mr. Abubakar Yusuf as the proposed Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and Dr. Fouad Olayinka Animashun as Commissioner for Finance and Management Services at the regulatory agency.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday.
It read, “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as the new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Engr Ramat, 39, is an electrical engineer and administrator, with a PhD in Strategic Management, among other qualifications.
“President Tinubu also nominated two commissioners for the NERC. They are Mr Abubakar Yusuf, Commissioner of Consumer Affairs and Dr Fouad Olayinka Animashun, Commissioner of Finance and Management Services. All nominations are subject to Senate confirmation”, the statement partly read.
It added, “However, to avoid a leadership vacuum in the critical regulatory agency, the President directed that Engr Ramat assume office in acting capacity pending his screening by the Senate, as stipulated by the law.
“President Tinubu urged the new appointees to use their knowledge and experience to discharge their functions and work assiduously to advance the administration’s power sector vision.”
In a statement accepting his appointment, Ramat said “Alhamdulillah. From leading just, a single LGA to now being entrusted with matters concerning all the 774 LGAs through NERC. Truely, God is great”.
Ramat replaces Garba
Ramat replaces Engr. Sanusi Garba who officially assumed duty as the chairman of the regulatory agency in 2020 following his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Garba first joined NERC after his successful screening with six other commissioners on February 7, 2017, and had been deputising for Prof. James Momoh, the erstwhile chairman of NERC.
Garba had previously served as the chief executive of Katsina Steel Rolling Co. Ltd and the Director (Power) in the Federal Ministry of Power.
He also served as executive director (generation) at the Niger Delta Power Holding Co. Ltd (NDPHC).
Engr Garba, who is a seasoned professional has served on many Federal Government Committees including the Presidential Committee on Power Sector Reform (2007/8) and the Presidential Task Force on Power (2009/10).
Engr Garba is expected to complete his five-year term by December 2025, in line with the defunct Electric Power Sector Reform Act, now the Electricity Act, 2023.
