Be Part of the Solution- NERC Advises Electricity Workers
Performance managers of operating companies in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) have been told to see themselves as crucial to solving the countrys electricity challenges.
Speaking at the opening session of a two-day training organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for performance managers of licensed companies in NESI, the General Manager, Legal, Licensing and Enforcement, Mrs. Olufunke Dinneh, who stood in for the acting Chairman, Dr. Anthony Akah, said, You should no longer count yourselves among Nigerians who are lamenting the challenges in the power sector but you should brace up to fix the sector.
She told participants at the training held at the Commissions headquarters, Abuja, that some Nigerians had expressed reservations over possible outcome of the privatisation but that the Federal Government in mitigating such fears created the Commission to formulate operating standards and codes.
Other measures according to her was the mandate given operating companies to have performance managers to monitor performance agreements signed with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) when the companies were being privatised as well as adhere to key performance indicators (KPI) with the Commission.
As such, There should be effective monitoring of performance agreements and KPI. The Commission working with BPE, as well as other stakeholders and Nigerians want explanation on compliance with the agreements and KPI signed by the private investors and those of you at this training have a role to play in this, she said.
According to Dinneh, The regulator has the responsibility to ensure accountability within the electricity supply value chain. That is why the Commission created standards and codes and you are employed to ensure your respective companies abide by those standards within the regulatory landscape in addition to the performance agreement signed by your management when they took over the erstwhile public utilities.
She told the participants at the training that their failures to assist their respective management to play by the rules would attract the regulators sanctions; adding that the industry is now regulated and as such, companies in the industry, irrespective of the ownership structure, are expected to play by the rules.
Participants at the two day training were drawn from about 37 operating companies across the electricity supply value chain.
Dr. Usman Abba Arabi - Head, Public Affairs Department
email: uabbaarabi@nercng.org
mfaloseyi@nercng.org