The document discusses the need for change in Nigeria's power sector. It summarizes that 18 months after privatization, the power sector is still plagued by issues like exorbitant bills, unreliable supply, and declining power output. While the government blames pipeline vandals, the fundamental problems that led to the previous failure of the national power company still exist. The new private owners are taking customers for granted without accountability. The document expresses hope that newly elected President Buhari will deliver on his promise of change, especially for the power sector, to help drive economic growth by improving stable electricity access.

1. A COUNTDOWN TO CHANGE IN THE POWER SECTOR
The result of the just concluded general elections, is an evidence that everything and person in this
country agitates for change. Change from an unfelt transformation to an era that hopefully promises to
ensure integrity, efficiency and effectiveness of the major sectors of the country, specifically the power
sector.
Eighteen months of privatization of the power sector has witnessed more days of power dearth than its
supply. The expectation that Nigerians had towards the privatization process was defiled. Most
Nigerians had hoped that once the power sector was privatized, electricity supply to their homes and
businesses would improve a great deal. We anticipated efficiency and effectiveness of the power sector
as opposed to the pervasive corruption and mismanagement practices that battled the power sector
before now. We thought that these things were going to become experiences of the past once private
investors took over the power sector. Regrettably, the present state of the messianic privatization of the
sector has not delivered on its potential.
We have not recorded a better story. Incidents of exorbitant estimated billings, epileptic power supply
and news of the high drop in the quantity of megawatts produced are all we have experienced since the
last eighteen months. The rationale presented by the government for these defects according to the
Minister Of Power, Chinedu Nebo was that vandals have not desist from breaking pipelines that supply
gas to the power plants despite government’s appeal to stop these criminal acts.
But, apparently, aside the act of sabotage from these vandals who seems to be good at evading
punishments and arrest of the law, the fundamental issues that led to the failure of NEPA still persists
even in the privatization system. It quite unfortunate that these new owners are taking their customers
for granted and Government is not doing anything to check this, rather they have given them rationales
to hide behind for their lack of delivery.
Though Nigerians are patient and resilient people, the federal government and key stakeholders should
really look into the situation of the power sector. This national problem has sifted through the walls of
the Ivory community as well as other institution of learning. The state of epilepsy of power supply the
academic community is fast becoming a norm which some years back, the University could boast of
good stable power supply. The new generation of students cannot dare to agitate for 24 hours power
supply because the authorities would always respond with the words “it is beyond our control, it is a
national problem”
Nigerians are always hopeful, therefore we would still hope while we plead as well as demand that the
President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari would make good on his promise of change, particularly in
the power sector. The nation would thrive better economically if the power sector were working
effectively. The high cost of production would reduce, hike in fuel price will become a thing of the past
because the country would depend less on petrol for their day to day activities. If the power sector is
the only felt Change he could implement then Nigerians would continue to “Say Buhari, Say Baba”.
As we countdown to May 29, all Nigerians look forward to see a change particularly in the power sector;
the electricity Distribution Companies.