Dysfunctional power sector, bane of Nigeria’s economic growth — Minister

Minister for State, Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri has said that the long wasteful and uninspiring journey of electricity generation which started 120 years ago at Ijora, Lagos State is responsible for the myriad of woes currently confronting the Nigerian nation.
According to a statement by Timothy Oyedeji, the Director (Press) at the ministry, Shehuri made the disclosure at the 5th Induction Ceremony of National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP), 2015/2016 session in Abuja.
The minister, therefore, urged the new inductees to see themselves, as “agents of positive change,” adding that they are expected to confront frontally the myriad of problems militating against the nation’s quest for development through co-ordinated and innovative means of providing practical solutions to issues, which can take Nigeria into the future.
He commended them for being part of the strategies Government hopes to use in battling the age – long lack of stable and reliable electricity, as it intends to use youth manpower training platform to redress the deficiency in profession and technical capacity in the power sector.
“It is a thing of joy to witness an army of youth professionals who have enlisted in the army of professionals to restore honour and hope by making positive difference in the embattled sector.”
The Minister pledged the support of the Ministry to NAPTIN’s activities, urging it to ensure that the momentum is maintained and built upon.
“The target of 25,000MW by year 2020 as enunciated in Vision 20:2020 document, can only be achieved through a robust infrastructure development but more essentially through competent technical workforce, significant portion of this will be through increased and enhanced capacity of NAPTIN’s trainees,” he said.
Shehuri paid glowing tributes to the support and collaboration efforts of stakeholders through sponsorship of trainees, Train the Trainers project and access to training facilities, adding that such synergy is a way of showing deep commitment to Implementation of the change agenda of Mr. President.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, (Power), Engr. Louis Edozien has acknowledged the ever-present factor on electricity as one important resource for socio economic development, saying the rancour we are currently experiencing in many parts of the country is not unconnected to lack of access to electricity.
He enjoined the trainees to brace up to the challenge NAPTIN has offered them to build on the engineering fundamentals they have acquired. In addition, they should imbibe the right attitude, attention to procedure, character, integrity and service as their chosen field is all about precision and result orientation.
“You cannot afford not to pay attention to details in ensuring that equipment and machines under your watch are well maintained as they expected not to break down so often but to last and give service.”
Also, Director General, NAPTIN, Engr. Reuben Okeke, urged NAPTIN at this stage of its development to have its own enabling law enacted by Parliament rather than being still subjected to law only under the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, saying that the Institute will continue to provide a reservoir of knowledgeable technical work-force that will project the sector into the digital age.