…commissions new NELMCO head office, says Nigeria counts on firm to restore confidence in electricity supply
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains determined to reform and strengthen Nigeria’s power sector.
He noted that while the promise of every nation rests on its abundance, Nigeria could not afford to gamble with energy security.
The Vice President, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja when he commissioned the new head office of the Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) in Asokoro District, said what the administration set out to achieve required a commitment to data-driven decision-making, intelligent use of technology in asset management, and stronger partnerships with both local and international stakeholders.
In a release by Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said, “Above all, it requires that governance, transparency, and accountability remain the guiding principles of this institution. This is why the commissioning of this headquarters must symbolise a new phase of modernisation, efficiency, and forward-thinking leadership.
“This administration remains resolute in its commitment to reform and strengthen the power sector. Permit me to commend the Board, Management, and staff of NELMCO for your dedication.
Yours is a task that often goes unnoticed, yet it is foundational to everything we seek to achieve in this sector. You are, in many ways, the custodians of the sector’s credibility.”
Underscoring the crucial role NELMCO plays in the power sector, Shettima said the electricity firm represented the nation’s commitment to confronting “the burdens of yesterday so that they do not mortgage the possibilities of tomorrow.”
He noted that the power of electricity was an assurance that the Tinubu administration understood that “energy security is the ultimate foundation upon which national progress must stand.”
Categorically, the Vice President said Nigeria was counting “on the aspiration of NELMCO to restore a measure of confidence within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.”
This, he maintained, aligned with the broader agenda of the President, which was the “commitment to reposition the energy sector as a commercially viable and investment-ready space.”
Shettima expressed belief that the new NELMCO headquarters would breathe “a new lease of life into the institution and strengthen it.
“Whatever we do in investing in the capacity to solve problems that are often invisible but always consequential cannot reasonably be said to be enough unless we provide a lasting solution to these legacy challenges,” he added.
He called on partners in the private sector and the international community to invest in Nigeria’s power sector, reaffirming that the nation remains open for business.
“We are committed to creating a transparent, predictable, and investor-friendly environment. Institutions like NELMCO demonstrate that we are not only serious about reform, but capable of sustaining it,” he further stated.
Earlier, Vice Chairman of the NELMCO Board and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, said a stable power sector, which NELMCO was working to achieve, would positively impact SMEs, while supporting Nigeria’s overall economic growth.
He noted that the President remained focused on transforming the power sector, leading to several initiatives and policies, including the recent establishment of the Grid Asset Management Company (GAMCO), which, according to him, addressed critical aspects of the power sector and the country as a whole.
Also, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said the new edifice was a clear demonstration of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen power sector liquidity, while enabling NELMCO to efficiently manage identified legacy liabilities.
