The Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Mr. Kola Adesina, has decried the wide gap between Nigeria’s population growth and infrastructural development, saying this has continued to hinder the delivery and maintenance of public amenities in the country.
   
Adesina, in his lecture at the 60th anniversary of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Faculty of Engineering, faulted the country’s power policy, which classified electricity as a social service instead of a commercial product since its inception.
   
In his lecture titled: “The Nigerian power industry: Past, present and the future,” Adesina traced the history of power generation in Nigeria from 1886 when the first power plant was built in Lagos, and lamented the poor and inadequate investments in the sector by successive governments despite the exponential growth in industries and other energy consuming activities.
 
He also faulted the government’s policy inconsistencies, which inhibited commensurate charges for energy despite investments by the private sector.

As part of recommendations to address the issues affecting Nigeria’s power situation, Adesina stressed the need for a well-articulated, and detailed power plan policy, which would guarantee the power needs of every Nigerian, open up opportunities for renewable energies and protect investors.
 
He also solicited stability in currency exchange rates for the power sector; as well as capacity development, especially in energy generation, transmission and distribution.
 
While commending the UNILAG management for its commitment to grooming fit-for-purpose manpower for national development, Adesina advocated government’s active commitment to the development of engineering education in Nigeria.
 
On his part, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who chaired the event, lauded the institution as well as the Faculty of Engineering on the milestone, which he said, underscored decades of resilience, commitment and dedication to engineering development in Nigeria.
 
He urged the present set of students to take their cue from the alumni by re-committing to their studies with the mind of returning to give back to their alma mater in the future.
 
Similarly, in her remarks, the Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Naimot Salako-Oyedele, who is an alumnus, described the celebration as a testament to the faculty’s enduring legacy of impact in grooming great minds that have shaped the world of engineering, nationally and globally
 
Salako-Oyedele who graduated from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, charged students and alumni of the university to commit to its development and remain worthy ambassadors through their outputs.
 
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, acknowledged the waves being made by various alumni of the faculty and solicited their support towards improving infrastructure in the faculty.  She reiterated the need for a new direction in course curriculum and students’ training.
   
The Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Samson Adeosun and chairman, UNILAG Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association, Dideolu Falobi, emphasised the feats of the faculty, especially in raising exceptional minds and developing engineering practice in Nigeria over the last six decades.