By Khalid Nasiru

EXCELLENCE has been described as doing a common thing in an uncommon way, while others have coined it as the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer. In any manner it comes, the truth is that the personality of one leader who has taken power distribution franchise in Northern Nigeria to the crescendo of service delivery will remain the talking point of excellence for the uncommon approach towards revolutionising Kano Electricity Distribution Company, KEDCO as we have it today.

In all aspects of human endeavours and organisational-cum-business settings, it’s explicitly obvious that many personalities have excelled and formed a cloud around their individual names while projecting their organisations to an enviable height.

It is no longer a forbidden truth that many businesses and establishments have collapsed due to the stark indifference and managerial ineptitude of their chief executives which has corresponding negative consequences on the entire staffing who always got driven by the enthusiasm, resilience and commitment displayed by the managers and top echelon within the organisation’s hierarchy.

In places where the organisational vision, mission and set objectives are attained and sustained, the diving forces would always be the leadership style and unwavering commitments towards actualising such ideas.

Today, in Nigeria’s volatile business environment and the ever-challenging power sector investment, KEDCO is among the organisations that are thriving amidst daunting and enormous challenges.

Certainly, the motivating force and one of the finest names synonymous with the KEDCO’s success story is the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe) whose dedication towards customers satisfaction and staff motivation in meeting up with the company’s objectives is second to none.

After acquiring the requisite academic credentials of BSc in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, a doctorate degree in Economics and MSc in Business Economics and Finance from the London Metropolitan University, Dr. Jamilu had gone on to acquire over 25 years working experience, excelling in a range of leadership positions across various sectors of the economy. Before becoming chief executive officer, he was part of the team that formulated the National Policy on Public Private Partnership in Nigeria in 2008. He was also the Chairman of Gombe State Water Corporation, member of other boards, notably as a Director in the Board of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.

Licensed to distribute and market electricity for the North-Western part of the country comprising Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states, the entity KEDCO is one of the eleven power distribution companies which was privatised by the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of the electricity power sector reform programme implementation aimed at making electricity available, accessible, and affordable by its consumers in the country. It has the quantum of 19,563,874 customer base, which makes it the largest Disco in Nigeria by population size.

READ ALSO: FG approves new uniform for correctional service

It is impressive to note that beyond the evident impact KEDCO is making in the areas of transfiguring the power sector to address the envisaged challenges as being encapsulated in the Federal Government agenda for power privatisation, creation of job opportunities is another cardinal area desired impact as the company has invested massively in human resource development.

On human capital development, he was once quoted as saying: “Any investment in training personnel is an investment for organisation growth because as the training enhances the capacity and competence levels of the staff, they will have no problems with the ‘what, how, why and when’ of doing their jobs and that promotes efficiency and effectiveness.”

KEDCO, while engaging in building staff’s capacity through regular training and re-training, has recruited over 2,500 staff with diverse skills and experience to deliver KEDCO’s service promise.

Another milestone achievement that has set KEDCO on a path that challenges the future is the massive infrastructural and overwhelming expansionary revolution in network. In that regard, KEDCO has invested over N5.1 billion in network, metering and improving work environment.

In every business, customer is a king and therefore all this is to ensure that the company’s numerous customers get satisfaction in a manner that befits their demand. Power is vital in any economy that hopes to grow its manufacturing sector as well as other sectors for the wellbeing of the people.

In a bid to further strengthen and sustain all these laid-down business mind-sets, KEDCO has embarked on massive equipment acquisition and repairs. In fact, numerous transformers and utility vehicles have been procured to effectively respond to the demands of both the workers and the company’s teeming customers.

Today, due to the unmatchable efforts and commitments of the management, the percentage of grid energy received by the company has in recent times been jerked up, while over 300 kilometres of new distribution lines were added to KEDCO’s network. The Company has also mapped 33KV lines, 11KV lines and distribution transformers in collaboration with World Bank using GIS to aid planning.

Under the able leadership of Dr. Jamil Gwamna, the most important philosophy that drives the jet of KEDCO is the fact that the company’s customers over the years have remained the prime target for satisfaction and maximum service delivery and it has on several occasions proven its capability to deliver.

To cap it all, the successes recorded by KEDCO clearly justifies the fact that the Federal Government policies on power privatisation is working and it is also sustainable. This did not happen by chance but by dint of hard work, resilience and commitment of the entire management and other key stakeholders.

Nasiru, a social commentator, wrote from Abuja

VANGUARD