Government to evaluate activities in power sector

The Federal Government has said activities in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) will be evaluated, managed and monitored with the aim of improving electricity access.

Already, the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu has inaugurated a Ministerial Power Sector Working Group (MPSWG), stressing that the group will change the elusive outlook in the sector.

While the power sector had failed to perform eight years after privatisation, Aliyu, who replaced sacked Saleh Mamman, had, upon assuming office, given indications that the government would review the operating licences of some power distribution (DisCos) and generation (GenCos) companies.

The Guardian had gathered this may not be unconnected with the poor performance by some critical stakeholders in the value chain.

Aliyu had said plans are underway to decide on the fate of the sector, adding, “The Ministry is intensifying performance monitoring of the licensees and the licensing regime, especially their revised Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) to have a better understanding of why some critical stakeholders are performing below expectation.

In a release signed by a Senior Information Officer at the Ministry, Mathew Osumanyi Dan’asabe, Aliyu said efforts are being made to improve power supply.

The minister, who chairs the new group stated that the Ministry and top institutional stakeholders’ meeting is to support one another to achieve a common goal in the sector, which is to give Nigerians a stable and affordable power supply.

Aliyu said that his administration in the power sector is working towards actualising the mandate, to make sure everyone is up and doing, and work hard to solve problems of epileptic electricity supply.

He further stated that the Ministerial Working Group would meet twice a month to strategize and discuss ways forward on how to carry out the activities and programmes of the ministry, and relating to stakeholders and the public.

The Minister also charged the Ministerial Working Group to work assiduously in order to achieve reliable and stable electricity, more than any other country.