By Idowu Oyebanjo
The
most worrisome thing is that those who are taking the lead in this matter do
not understand how Electric Current flows. If you make use of Knowledgeable
Power System Engineers of Nigerian descent, who work in the Electricity
Industries in the developed economies, most likely you will achieve better
results in less than four years. Ofcourse, these will work with qualified
Consultants who know their onions but because they already have a foothold,
they are more likely to get better value for money for Nigeria. The truth is
that not all foreign Consultants will want electricity in Nigeria because this
means Nigerians will leave their shores and return home, Nigerians will go to
Universities in Nigeria, world economics will change and the propensity for
Investment will shift to Nigeria to mention a few benefits that will result in
electrifying the nation in darkness.
(pix:Guardian)
The way
to go about this is to set up a summit to attract these Power Systems Engineers
of Nigerian descent and bring them together to brainstorm on these ideas and more
in support of this reform. They are everywhere and Government machineries could
be used to track them down. For example, the Association of Nigerians in
Diaspora was formed in the year 2000 by former president Obasanjo towards this
end and have no doubt being functioning well since then. This could be one
means of achieving this noble objective. The latest approach by SHELL Petroleum
Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), SHELL Nigeria Exploration and Production
Company (SNEPCO), Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the UK
chapter of Nigerian in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) and the department for
Trade and Investment in the UK in establishing a knowledge sharing framework
and portal to boost Nigerian Content development and employment in the Oil and
Gas Industry is required in the Power Sector. It need not have waited this
long!
