The Nigerian House of Representatives has reiterated its readiness to carry out a long-overdue legislative reform of the power sector, for optimal performance.
The Speaker House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila stated this while declaring open a public hearing on the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill and three others organised by the House Committee on Power.
Mr. Gbajabiamila decried the Nigerian electric power sector as not performing optimally, a development that must change for the better.
He stated that Nigerians are in agreement that it is “the responsibility of the government to do something about this situation.”
He said “Every Nigerian understands that the electric power sector in Nigeria is not performing optimally. Most people recognize that a situation where we cannot expect twenty-four-hour electricity in our cities and many rural areas remain wholly disconnected from the benefits of access to electricity is unacceptable.
We all, for the most part, agree that it is the responsibility of the government to do something about this situation.”
Mr. Gbajabiamila said ordinary citizens, power industry operators, regulators, and government all have different understandings of why the dysfunction in the power sector exists and persists and that there are just as many ideas and recommendations for how to fix it.
He noted that the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 is a substantial piece of legislation and remains the most significant statutory reform of the power sector in Nigeria for a generation.
Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Magaji Da’u Aliyu said the hearing was necessary to enable the committee to utilize the outcome of the exercise to address gaps in the existing laws to strengthen the Nigerian power sector for efficiency and service delivery.
“This committee was overwhelmed by the support of the leadership of the House and is determined to provide a conducive platform to generate information that would enrich the proposals.” Da’u Aliyu added.
The public hearing was an opportunity for stakeholders, both in government and the private sector, to participate in a structured conversation and contribute views that will help the House undertake the long-overdue reform of one of the critical legislation governing the operations of the power sector in Nigeria.
Confidence Okwuchi
