20th March, 2015
The Minister of State for Power, Hon. Muhammad Wakil has declared that the opposition has no credible alternative to the ongoing successful reform in the power sector.
Hon. Wakil stated this during the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between his Ministry and two consortiums – Huawei Technologies of China and Bravos/Power China in his office in Abuja.
On privatisation of the power sector, the Minister said Nigeria is now a model to copy as the Ghanaian Minister of Power, Mr. Kwabena Donkor was in Nigeria last week to tap from the success achieved in Nigerian power privatisation exercise.
The Minister described the opposition plan on power sector as just a mere repetition of several policies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), government which has already been implemented, while others are ongoing.
Wakil said he read the opposition plan for the sector and has no hesitation to affirm that PDP government has successfully privatised the power sector with much focus on renewable energy like solar, wind, coal, small and medium hydro-power plants, stressing that emphasis would be placed on renewable energy to avoid incidences of gas pipeline vandalism which had over the years disrupted delivery of gas to thermal plants.
Wakil also noted that the Ministry is presently training over 7,400 young entrepreneurs through the National Power Sector Apprenticeship Scheme (NAPSAS) on joint volters, fitters, sub-station operators and young engineers, to provide able and sufficient workmen for the sector’s power plants, promised to assist the consortium in acquiring the necessary licences.
Earlier, the Vice-President, Huawei Technologies, Richard Cao stated that the MoU was the outcome of the Minister’s earlier visit to China to woo investors into the Nigerian power industry.
Cao further revealed that his company has the capacity to provide solar power 24/7 to rural communities in Nigeria, adding that his company will continue to partner with government in ensuring the provision of uninterrupted power supply to the country.
In his response, the Vice-Chairman of Bravos Energy – the Group’s local partner, Lawson Osagie stated that renewable energy holds the answer to energy deficit; he thereby reiterated the consortium’s willingness to providing clean energy to Nigerians.