The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria has said that Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis is largely driven by politics and the government’s failure to appoint competent professionals to oversee the sector.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja to mark the institute’s second anniversary, CIPEN President and Chairman-in-Council, Israel Abraham, said the lack of political will and the appointment of non-professionals into key positions are the biggest obstacles to solving Nigeria’s power challenges.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari in May, 2023 approved the establishment of CIPEN as a regulatory cum professional body empowered to regulate, control and determine the standards of knowledge to be attained by people seeking to become Chartered Power Engineers.
According to him, government control over political appointments has stifled technical progress in the power sector, often prioritising political loyalty over competence.
He said, “The most prominent challenge in the power sector is politics. It may not be visible to the eyes, but it is the greatest problem Nigerians have with power.”
“When the government wants to solve a problem, it must go to the head of the fish. If you appoint people just to satisfy political interests, you can’t expect results. We need the right people in the right places. That is the only way to achieve results,” he said.
Abraham argued that without the necessary political backing and professional leadership, any reforms or investments in the sector will fail to deliver tangible results.
“Political will is lacking. If it were there, the government would declare a state of emergency in the sector, mobilise resources and give mandates. If the mandate isn’t met in two years, remove the appointee,” he said.
The CIPEN boss stressed the need for appointments based on competence, not political patronage, suggesting that future ministers of power should be engineers with proven experience in the industry.
Beyond appointments, the institute says it is working with stakeholders to end energy poverty in Nigeria.
Abraham explained that CIPEN has introduced a tiered licensing regime, along with mandatory training for engineers to boost service delivery and professionalism in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
He said that CIPEN introduced mandatory learning programmes that culminate in professional licenses for all power systems engineers and allied professional categories.
“These programmes aim to assess and validate the competence of professionals, infusing professional ethics and conduct, ensuring they meet required standards for practice in Nigeria.
“By introducing programmes, we aim to enhance the credibility and reputation of power engineers in Nigeria, improve the overall quality of service delivery in the industry and boost public confidence in the power sector, ‘’ he said.
Abraham also said that the Act establishing CIPEN mandates it to ensure robust synergy between the industry and academia for constructive collaboration.
According to him, this collaborative approach is not just a requirement but a crucial strategy geared towards fostering shared responsibility, research and development, innovations, workforce professional development and teaching of power engineering in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
“For the sustainable development of power engineering professionals for the ultimate and steady growth of the Nigerian power industry,” he said.
The president further urged the media to collaborate with the institute to achieve its mandate and deliver a reliable power supply to citizens.
Also speaking at the event, the institute’s Vice President of Power Business, Ahmad Kaitafi, said the lack of cost-reflective tariffs is hindering new investments in the power sector.
He said, “The real thing is that we need a cost-reflective tariff. It may be higher, but it is necessary to attract private investors and ensure a reliable supply.”
Kaitafi, however, acknowledged that not all Nigerians could afford higher tariffs and advocated for targeted subsidies.
“There’s no country that doesn’t subsidise. What we’re calling for is a targeted subsidy for low-income earners. That way, we can attract investment and still protect the vulnerable,” he said.
The CIPEN leaders called on the media and the general public to support their advocacy for reforms and professionalism in the sector.
They said the institute remains committed to bridging the gap between technical capacity and policymaking to ensure Nigeria enjoys a reliable, adequate, and affordable power supply.
