In an exclusive interview with Nairametrics, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, criticised the Federal Government’s decision to hand over control of electricity markets to state governments without conducting proper risk and readiness assessments.
Amadi, who oversaw the 2013 privatisation of the power sector, warned that the rushed and poorly coordinated transition could trigger widespread failures in state-run electricity markets within a few years.
He faulted both the Ministry of Power and NERC for what he described as “reactive, not proactive leadership,” stressing that many states lack the technical capacity, regulatory expertise, and governance structures to manage their own electricity systems successfully.