A Grandeur Professional Can Turn Around our Power Sector, “Yes” or “Lori Iro”

Lack of adequate power supply has been established as one of the top three (3) problems facing the Nigerian state. From generation to transmission, distribution to consumption, each division of the energy sector is fraught with tremendous inadequacies. Nigeria boasts of a meagerly 4,000MW electricity capacity for a 200 million capita economy. The issues associated with the power sector have ranged from funding, faulty power foundation, Infrastructural deficiency, insincerity, and lack of proper management.

Quite recently, our very own Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was appointed the director-general of the World Trade Organisation. This brings into context, the conversation about the capable hands we may or may not have had, in managerial roles across all sectors of our economy, especially in the power sector.

The Nigerian government for so many years, stood as the sole manager for the power sector until a little over five (5) years ago when private hands came on board and relegated the government to just regulation (learn more). In the many years of the government’s hold of the sector, the betterment or otherwise of the sector would rely on the administrator charged by the government over the sector, in this case, the minister of power. This position would require someone with an in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of a power system and an excellent management record.

We have had a number of people in this position, but we could say that we have not had a grandeur professional in the ranks of Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala in our power sector. One could ask, of what use would such a profile be to the sector, now that the government only acts as a regulator? The answer would be: even as a regulator, the government could still make a huge impact on the outcome of power. Satisfactory as it may sound, it could still beg other questions; what of the other problems of, say lack of funding, insincerity on the part of the government, in terms of neglection and corruption, then on the part of the citizenry, in terms of bill payments and forthrightness, faulty power foundation, to mention but a few.

The statement reads “A grandeur professional will turn around our power sector”. Could the response be “Yes” or “Lori Iro”? Let us know in the comment section.