Policy inconsistencies cause of Nigeria’s power crisis - UNIDO

Mr. Nnaji, Nigeria's Minister for Power

Kanji Dam

Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), has blamed crises in Nigeria’s power sector on inconsistent policy by successive governments in the country.

Speaking at a meeting with donor agencies and stakeholders in the power sector in preparation for the launch of Energy For All Initiative in Abuja, he noted that while the current administration’s efforts at addressing challenges of the power sector was yielding results, politicians needed to know that improving power generation cannot be done with “quick-fixes.”

Yumkella described Nigerian government’s attitude to power problem as ad-hoc policy without clear-cut strategy on how to provide lasting solutions to the problem.

“When power supply goes off, we get the generator. We never sat down to ask where we want the nation to be in the next 20 to 25 years, how fast we want it to grow, how much jobs we want to create and what sectors of the economy we need to develop.

“Instead of putting the generators on, you would have built the hydropower plant since Nigeria has a lot of water resources”, he said.

He regretted that most hydropower project embarked by the country during his 12-year stay in Nigeria, were abandoned while funds allocated for the projects were not accounted for.

“We surveyed the water basins and started some hydro projects, they were never completed. Some were about 90 per cent completed but never turned on. Those dams could be used for irrigation and water supply in cities. So, you have to link energy access with the ambition of governors to transform their states. We also need to convince the politicians that energy transformation is not a quick fix. It is a long-term strategy of 20 to 30 years.”

The UNIDO said although Nigeria is blessed with necessary resources needed for uninterrupted power supply, gas flaring, lack of accountability and inconsistent policy remained some of the factors militating against accessible power supply.