- NEMSA directs utility firms to increase the maintenance of power infrastructure.
The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has called for efficient maintenance of power plants, transmission and distribution stations in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to improve the nationwide power supply.
The managing director of the NEMSA and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF), Engr Aliyu Tukur Tahir, gave the directive in an interview. He noted that regular maintenance work on power installations by owners of electrical utility companies was a significant factor in improving power supply.
Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) activated a partial contract-based electricity market on July 1, prompting all firms to increase their performance or face sanctions. As a result, five of the 11 distribution companies (DisCos) have already been restructured and joined the Abuja DisCo, which got new management in December 2021.
To further drive the partial contract electricity market, Tahir said the network required routine and regular maintenance to ensure a reliable and efficient power supply to consumers. This is a performance contract agreement between the operators and the federal government.
He described the current power situation in the country as momentary, especially when certified power infrastructures are maintained regularly and the utility companies make the necessary investments to upgrade the networks.
He directed the owners of power firms to implement the performance contract agreement fully to improve power supply, noting that the partial activation of contracts between the operators in the sector and the federal government was already yielding results.