The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has expressed strong support for ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s power sector, emphasizing the need for collaboration among all stakeholders to enhance the reliability of the national power grid.
Abbas made this call during the opening of the International Power Engineering Exhibition and Conference in Abuja on Thursday. He also advocated for the integration of renewable energy into Nigeria’s energy mix to improve efficiency and sufficiency.
Themed “Birthing an Effective Electric Power Sector of the 21st Century: The Role of Professional Practice Regulation,” the conference saw Abbas, represented by Rep. August Gana, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Power, highlighting the sector’s long history of reforms and privatizations aimed at improving power delivery.
Despite these efforts, Abbas noted that challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, transmission and distribution losses, and insufficient generation and distribution capacities persist. He also reflected on the transition from the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), which, while met with optimism, was also viewed skeptically as “Problem Has Changed Names.” Nevertheless, he acknowledged the remarkable progress made through privatization, which has opened the sector to more players and investment.
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, also spoke at the event, lamenting the poor performance of the power sector, which leaves nearly half of Nigeria’s population without reliable electricity. Abaribe highlighted the country’s current generation capacity of approximately 4,500 MW, insufficient for its 200 million citizens, and emphasized the importance of collaborative reform to address the sector’s challenges.
Engr. Israel Abraham, President of the Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN), underscored the importance of power in economic development. He noted that as global power systems become more efficient, Nigeria must adopt smarter energy management solutions to overcome its power sector challenges. Abraham reiterated that the conference aims to provide a global platform for key power sector players, with a particular focus on Nigeria’s needs.
