The Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, announced the government’s position while inaugurating the new National Commissioners for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Abuja on Tuesday.
Following the exit of the Chairman and former commissioners of NERC in December 2015, the acting Chairman of the commission had carried on with the activities of the agency without national commissioners as required by law.
The Chairman-designate of NERC, Prof. Akintunde Akinwande, had rejected his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as he did not present himself for screening at the Senate.
The Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 states that NERC shall have seven full time commissioners appointed by the President and subject to confirmation by the Senate.
To this end, Fashola said even though government was committed to completing the projects, the bulk of activities in the power sector would hence forth be private sector dominated.
Fashola said: “The first thing to emphasise is that the power sector has been privatised.
“This process occurred and was concluded in November 2013 and has resulted in the vesting of majority of power generation and power distribution in the hands of private owners.
“So for the avoidance of doubt, power is now in private hands, and government is now largely a policy maker and regulator.”
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