Nigeria’s power sector problem is not engineering but leadership.
This is according to Adebayo Adelabu, the country’s minister for power, who made the statement during the 3rd Roundtable on the Engagement on the Enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations in the Multi-tier Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) organized by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, NEMSA.
During the event, Adelabu analyzed what has gone wrong in the country’s power sector and the strategies he has outlined to address the challenges.
He said:
- “I am not an engineer. But our problem is not engineering. We use imported technology which has been tested and is working elsewhere. The problem is leadership, focus, and commitment.
- “What we need is the political will and I have it. We might be lightweight as individuals but with the backing of the president who has resolved that we must reap the dividends of democracy, it can be done.
- “My strategy is a bottom-up approach in the electricity sector. Many ministers have been on the job but focusing on generation. What is power generation if it’s not delivered to the users. It’s useless. It’s like winking in the dark because the customer does not know what we are doing,
- “We are not joking with the power sector this time around. It must work. We don’t have any choice. Any country that is serious about realizing the potential of its people must provide energy, otherwise they will retain potential.
- “We will focus on customers, down to distribution and transmission infrastructures in the short term, ensuring a significant portion of currently generated power reaches consumers.”
During the event, Nigeria’s Minister for Power, Adebayo Adelabu, outlined plans to improve electricity supply across the country by prioritizing specific areas in the short term.
At an event organized by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), he emphasized the importance of focusing on metering, distribution, and transmission infrastructure.
Adelabu discussed an upcoming strategy roadmap for the power sector, highlighting a shift in approach from previous strategies.
He emphasized the need for a bottom-up approach that prioritizes making a direct impact over the previous top-down methods.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of diversifying power generation, particularly by leveraging renewable energy sources for Distributed Power (Embedded) and enhancing baseload power through Thermal and Hydro plants in the medium to long term.
Drawing examples from countries like Korea and China, Adelabu highlighted their substantial power generation and distribution capacities.
He mentioned that Korea generates about 130,000 megawatts of power and distributes it efficiently, while China generates and distributes up to 1.3 million megawatts of power.
He expressed confidence that with focused efforts, Nigeria’s power sector could undergo a significant turnaround.
