NDPHC Blames Power Sector's Under-performance on Improper Execution of BPE, World Bank's Privatisation Template

Osinbajo, Oyedele bag UNILAG's alumni awards

The Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), Mr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, has attributed the persistent underperformance and crisis rocking the Nigerian power sector to the failure of the past administration to properly executive the sector's privatisation programme in line with the template offered by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and the World Bank.

The NDPHC Executive Director stated this in Lagos, at the weekend, during an interview with journalists at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards and 60th Anniversary Dinner, where the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and him were honoured with distinguished awards.

While Osinbajo was honoured with the Diamond Jubilee Distinguished Alumnus award, Oyedele was conferred with the Distinguished Alumnus award along with eight others including the wife of Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq; wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Senator Kanu Agabi, amongst others.

The vice president's award was received on his behalf by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Oyedele, who stated that the failure to properly implement the privatisation policy is now hurting the country and that the sector is currently challenged by lots of disjoints in the system currently being operated, added that he was one of those that believe that the privatisation was not properly done.

Since the privatisation of the generation and distribution chains of the nation's power sector some nine years ago, with the transmission arm still left 100 per cent in the hand of the federal government, Nigerians have not witnessed any remarkable improvement in power supply.

With a population of over 200 million people and in its 62 years of existence as an independent nation, Nigeria cannot boast of providing commensurate volume of electricity to homes and businesses.

Due to the incapability of the generation, transmission and distribution value chains of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), Nigeria currently struggles or manages to supply about 4000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the people, with the national grid collapsing almost on a monthly basis.

"I think the problem is that over the years, we didn't do what we were supposed to have done and that is hurting us now. I'm one of those who think that the privatisation, though well intended, was not properly executed, even the government at the time didn't follow the template that was provided by the then BPE and with the support of the World Bank.