BY CHRIS OCHAYI

ABUJA: The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, has challenged the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, to embark on aggressive awareness campaign. This is with a view to keeping Nigerians abreast on the new developments in the power sector reform most especially, in the post privatisation era of the sector.

Nebo, who gave the task during an interactive session with some Nigerian CSOs at the 6th power summit in Abuja, charged them to create awareness that would help in promoting attitudinal changes necessary for effective power supply, power usage and consumption.

The Minister said, “Civic engagement like this provides an opportunity for Nigeria citizens to be actively involved in the reforms.” He also revealed that the power sector reform will ensure sustainable energy delivery to Nigerians, through increase in power generation, transmission and distribution and effective management of public and private power institutions.

He stressed that the good news of the reform is that with the successful sale of the Government owned distribution and generation companies, the Ministry is getting to the tail end of the power reform process. He lamented that some Nigerians continue to live in off-grid rural areas with no power access in some cases unstable power access, therefore a lot need to be done.

Nebo further revealed that the privatisation process has been globally adjudged as the largest, most successful and transparent privatisation of public utilities, in modern history. He said there is the need to ensure that governance controls and commitment to transparency and accountability of government by the new owners and management are properly put in place.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, appreciated the efforts put in place by civil society organisation in power sector reform process.
He urged civil society organisation to educate the citizenry and always depend the right of consumers on electricity supply.