FG Moves To Restructure Power Ministry, Activates Manitoba’s Contract

CONSCIOUS of the seemingly onerous regulatory and policy duties of government when the electricity energy utility firms would have been sold to the private sector, the federal government has commenced urgent reforms in the Ministry of Power.
Meanwhile, after the arm-twisting and game play that almost led to the termination of the three-year contract to manage Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure, the federal government has formally activated the contract with Canadian firm, Manitoba Hydro International.
The ministry, according to information made available to The Guardian Friday, would be restructured and made more capable and better able to handle core government responsibilities in line with modern realities.
This is coming as stakeholders came together in Lagos to discuss the issues, progress and challenges faced in the power sector with the aim of coming up with strategies and designs to mitigate them.
Minister of State Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, who addressed the fourth quarter power summit in Lagos, called for the support of development partners in ensuring the success of the unfolding reforms in the ministry and in ensuring sustainability of supply along the electricity value chain.
She said: “As we enter the New Year 2013, the industry is expected to be more private sector-driven, especially as we hope to witness the commissioning of many independent power plants, to deal with new and inevitable challenges in a manner that will place the ministry on a better focused and better defined direction.”
She also called attention to the need for the stakeholders and the different organs of government on the sector to work as one in the task ahead.
“We should be seen as working together harmoniously in order to attain a common goal of making electricity available to the Nigerian consumers on a sustainable basis.”
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Power, Dr. Dere Awosika, stressed that the summit would bring the sector closer to its goals.
She stressed that the Manitoba Hydro International management contract for the Transmission Company of Nigeria had commenced.
His words: “It has become undoubtedly clear that much progress is being made in the match towards realising the dream of a stable and unfettered electricity supply.  We know that the realisation of our goals would turn-around the economy of Nigeria and leapfrog it into a strong economy.”