The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has asserted that meaningful transformation in the power sector is hinged on the active participation of governments at the state level.
Adelabu stated this during a courtesy visit by the Executive Governor of Abia state, Mr. Alex Otti to his office in Abuja.
The Minister also announced plans for a ministerial retreat to discuss issues that are crucial for the transformation of the power sector.
During the visit, the minister highlighted the pivotal role of the state's involvement in the distribution segment, encompassing infrastructure enhancement, reducing the metering gap, enforcing bill collection, rural electrification, combating power theft, preventing asset vandalism, and securing right-of-way for transmission lines. To achieve this, the Ministry plans to collaborate closely with state ministries of power, energy, and public utilities.
The Minister elaborated on his short, medium, and long-term strategies, emphasizing the need for state collaboration. Adelabu recognized that addressing challenges in the distribution segment requires unified efforts from sub-national governments due to its retail nature. He underscored the vested interests of state governments in distribution, being closer to DISCOs and better positioned to support and monitor them to achieve their performance improvement plans.
To expedite state involvement, the Minister proposed unbundling various regional DISCOs into different states, allowing for more localized oversight. "Financial collaboration modalities between the federal and state governments will be explored, possibly involving a swap of federal government stakes in DISCOs with state stakes in the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC)."
Adelabu also highlighted collaboration opportunities in rural electrification, encouraging states to establish active rural electrification boards working in tandem with the Ministry's Rural Electrification Agency (REA). "Support from state governments in the provision of distribution transformers and replacement of weak power lines is deemed crucial for achieving reliable and functional power supplies."
The Minister also announced plans for an inaugural ministerial retreat for the power sector from December 12th to 14th, 2023, where these issues would be extensively discussed. Adelabu extended an invitation to attend the retreat to Governor Otti while emphasizing the sector's importance for economic growth and industrial development at both national and state levels.
In response, the Abia State Governor, accompanied by key officials, commended the Minister's well-thought-out strategies and expressed support for his transformative efforts. He pledged attendance at the upcoming retreat, aligning state-level thoughts with the Minister's vision. In the entourage of the governor were Senator Patrick Ndubueze, Hon. Chidi Nwogu, and Abia State Power Commissioner, Eng. Ikechukwu Monday, who commended the Minister and affirmed support for his drive to transform the Power Sector.