Federal And State Governments To Coordinate Power Sector Reforms – El-Rufai
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – In a bid to consolidate the efforts of the Federal Government and the 36 State Governments to effectively fix the power sector, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of a Power Sector Reform Coordination Working Group under the leadership of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
This was contained in a statement by the chairman of the committee set up by the National Economic Council (NEC) on Power sector reforms and Distribution Company ownership (DISCOs), Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.
El-Ryfai said that the new Working Group will incorporate the ongoing efforts of the NEC committee and ensure all power sector initiatives are on the same page under the leadership of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He explained that the membership of the group comprises Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Economic Council, the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, who leads the German Government/Siemens initiative to improve power supply, the Ministers of Power, Engr Saleh Mamman, and Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, and the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emiefele while the Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmad Zakari would serve as the Secretary of the Working Group.
In November 2019, the NEC constituted an ad-hoc Committee to determine the nature and extent of State Governments’ ownership of Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and provide feedback on the challenges afflicting the power sector reforms.
El-Rufai said that the new presidential working group will coordinate ad-hoc committee and other efforts on a national scale, and report progress fortnightly to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that the presidential working group, which will meet weekly, commenced work at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, at a meeting at which the Vice President presided.
According to El-Rufai; “The President will receive updates and briefings twice a month on the progress of the National Working Group.
“As outlined above, the key objective of the working group is to harmonise various efforts by the Federal Government and the 36 States, through the National Economic Council (NEC), on power sector reform and to oversee the design and implementation of a well-coordinated roadmap for the sector.
“The national working group will support critical financing initiatives with the World Bank Group, DFID and other key development partners.
“The group will also ensure that ongoing Federal and State initiatives are in sync with the Presidential Power Initiative being implemented with the German government and Siemens, and infrastructure investments of the TCN and the Ministry of Power.”
