2015 – A Year Of Power Reform In Nigeria

With the change of government from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) and the attendant hand over of Aso Rock to President Muhammadu Buhari, 2015 indeed marked a turning point in the history of Nigeria’s power sector. Idowu Oyebanjo writes

Buhari and Jonathan 

On May 29 2015, the PDP led government of former president Goodluck Jonathan in a show of unprecedented statesmanship in the history of Nigeria, handed over power to an APC government led by Former Military Head of State, General Muhammad Buhari (GMB). A key slogan in the months leading to this change of government is the "change" mantra. Although it was a change in political power, it equally meant a change for the electrical power system in Nigeria. From the start, the fear of Buhari gripped the agents of the "demons" holding back the country from seeing light. Suddenly, the four refineries of NNPC which have been undergoing turn around maintenance (TAM) for the last 40 years unstopped began to function, providing gas for the starved thermal power plants around the country. For the first time in the distant many years, Nigerians who are connected to the power grid felt the impact of electricity as power generation reached an all time high of 4.68GW. This was sustained for a time. The foot soldiers of the enemies then started a campaign of idiocy that the changes were due to the works done by the previous government. Nigerians are no fools and amongst the most intelligent people in the world, Nigerians rank atop.