Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that between 40-70 percent of Nigerians still lack formal access to electricity, underscoring the urgent need for reform in the nation’s power sector.
Shettima emphasized that addressing the power sector crisis is crucial for Nigeria’s economic development and industrialization, noting that countries like Indonesia, India, and South Africa, have overcome energy insufficiency and were now leading in economic advancement.
Shettima made these statements during the inauguration of the National Economic Council Ad Hoc Committee on National Electrification at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, urged leaders in the country to rise above differences to confront the power sector crisis and become part of the reincarnation of Nigeria as an industrialized nation.
He said there is no way Nigeria can dream of meaningful national economic development without addressing the power sector crisis and ensuring Nigerians have access to electricity and other affordable energy.
“An estimated 40-70 percent of Nigerians have no formal access to electricity. There is no doubt that we cannot dream of meaningful national economic development without addressing the issue in the power sector and ensuring that Nigerians have accessible, available and affordable energy,” he stated.
He acknowledged the basic challenges in the nation’s power sector, especially the national grid which has been witnessing system collapse.
The VP however expressed hope that there will soon be significant improvement following the recent reforms in the energy sector which have opened the sector, “not only to the participation of, otherwise, excluded players, but also to attract investments, both foreign and local.
“I believe we are well endowed with resources, be it gas, hydro or solar, that allow us to have an optimal energy mix and leverage these resources to build a sector in a resilient manner that ensures energy security for every Nigerian,” he added.
The Vice President urged members of the National Electrification ad hoc committee to come on board and work for the nation.
He said, “I wish you the best as you embark on this critical assignment, and I want to assure you of my availability as you discharge this onerous assignment. With this, I hereby inaugurate the NEC ad hoc committee on National Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan.”
Responding, Chairman of the NEC Ad Hoc committee on National Electrification and Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, noted that the Vice President has impaneled the committee with four terms of reference to change the ugly history of incessant national grid collapse in the country, noting that their next task is to get down to work, and do so assiduously until they produce credible, achievable and sustainable results.
He said, “In the command list, one, is to put an end to consistent grid collapse in the energy sector and to work towards deepening states’ engagement within the Electricity Reform Act 2023 to address the challenges in the power sector to the best expectation of Nigerians and the National Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan.
“These tasks are tall but looking at the members of the committee, we are individually and collectively taller, especially in our avowed commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President and the golden ethos of nation-building.”
