From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has said the Tinubu administration has identified the power sector as the topmost priority of all the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) asset classes.
Speaking when he briefed the top management staff of the Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) in Abuja, the minister said that the project would only be achievable if all hands were on deck towards realising the targets.
He added that over the years, the government had also embarked on several reforms to turn around the power sector, the latest of it being the new electricity bill. Bagudu pointed out that the electricity law repeals the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 and consolidates the law relating to the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The Minister informed that the Nigeria Electricity Act 2023 prioritised the implementation of tariffs that accurately reflected the cost and service provided as well as promoted competition in the electricity sector through the use of contracts and rules.
He further stated that the main objective of the law was to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria electricity industry, adding that NEMSA was one of the key players in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) charged with the responsibility of carrying out the enforcement of technical standards and regulations, technical inspection, testing, and certification of all categories of electrical installations across the country to ensure stable, safe and reliable electricity networks.
Bagudu added that the agency strived to ensure zero incidences of electrical accidents, and energy accountability; eliminate substandard electrical equipment and material and rid the system of quack electrical installation personnel contractors.
In a statement, Bagudu also explained that the agency had embarked on some of the activities which included an inspection of over 15,931 electricity projects across the country, out of which 10,692 had been certified fit for use by NEMSA; monitoring of 12,114 existing networks and power systems nationwide; inspection of 3,255 electrical installations at factories across the country, among others.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of NEMSA who is equally the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Engineer Aliyu Tukur Tahir said that their priority was to have a steady light electricity network that was stable, safe, and reliable.
“We also strive to ensure zero incidences in the electricity networks, energy accountability, and eliminate substantial electrical material and equipment across our network in the country.
“Electricity has become part of our everyday life; it is a great benefit to all of us but the electricity we use is associated with a lot of hazards and these hazards are so real that they can even affect professionals themselves; so to mitigate these hazards, a number of technical standards and revelations are now developed and that was why this agency was established to carry out enforcement of technical inspection, testing and certification before they are allowed to be used,” he said.