The Nigerian power sector has over the years, been faced with many intimidating and daunting challenges of darkness, despite N2.74 trillion spent on the sector from 1999 to 2015, resulting in more darkness. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara stated this in his opening remarks at the two-day stakeholders interactive workshop organised by the National Assembly on the Nigerian power sector, adding that “the more we spend on the power sector, the more darkness we attract.”

At the on-going event in Transcorp Hilton on Tuesday, Dogara pointed out that the challenges being experienced in the sector run across the entire power value chain of Generation, Transmission and Distribution. He stated that the myriad issues are apparently exacerbated by inadequate funding, poor energy mix, fuel supply issues, flawed regulatory framework, and commercial issues, adding that there is a need for stakeholders to address these problems.

Speaking on the objective of the workshop, Dogara said it will provide a platform for stakeholders to carry out a holistic diagnosis of the challenges impeding the development of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and proffer practical solutions.

He averred that the diagnosis include but not limited to a critical analysis of the extant legislations and regulatory framework guiding the Nigerian power sector to determine if there is a need for amendments or enactment of new laws that will galvanise the sector to deliver the required results.

The Speaker threw some posers to the participants: “Why has power generation remained at less than 5,000MW since the last 56 years?” Why have various policies by successive governments failed? Why has the transmission infrastructure remained inadequate in wheeling the available power? How can the Federal Government rapidly expand the transmission infrastructure? Why are electric metres not available to most consumers thereby leading to contentious estimated billing? How can NERC establish a cost reflective tariff and reduce inefficiency in support of affordable end user tariffs? Why has there not been an effective Gas Master Plan for Nigeria which would have preceded the building of the gas fired power plants? What is the solution to the perennial pipeline vandalism that disrupts delivery of gas to the gas fired power plants?”

He said that he was confident that the array of stakeholders gathered at the event were eminently capable of dealing with the questions and would provide solutions.

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