Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai, has faulted the power sector privatisation, saying that Nigeria has lost nearly 15 years of energy sector investment.
He said clear roadmaps for structural reforms set up by the Obasanjo government in the electrical, power, and oil and gas sectors were protracted or abandoned by his immediate successors.
El Rufai, who spoke at the 9th edition of the Nigeria Energy Conference held in Lagos on Wednesday, said investments in power generation and transmission infrastructure that were initiated by the Obasanjo government were either put on hold between 2007 and 2010 or largely dumped.
Late Musa Yar’adua was Nigeria’s President between 2007 and 2010. He was succeeded by his vice, Goodluck Jonathan, who was President from 2010 to 2015.
“Nigeria requests for its growth and development, the delivery of affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for homes and businesses. This country has lost about 15 years of efforts in investment in the energy sector. The clear roadmaps for structural reforms set up by the Obasanjo government in the electrical, power, and oil and gas sectors were protracted or abandoned by his immediate successors,” he said.
The Kaduna state governor also said the first version of the electricity industry bill initiated by him was not put into law.
He said, “I had the privilege as head of Bureau of Public Enterprises to initiate and lead in drafting the bill, which was ready by 2003, but was not presented to the National Assembly and, of course, we all know that it was not enacted then.”
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