An Appraisal of Power Sector Reforms and Delivery of Electric Services in Nigeria

Abstract

The performance of the power sector in Nigeria since its reform as provided for in the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSR Act, 2005) constitutes source of concern amongst government policymakers, stakeholders in the power industry and the public. Several efforts to ascertain how well the sector delivers electricity effectively to its users since the period seem to provide vague database. This study assessed the performance of the power sector before the 2005 reform and thereafter, to ascertain the implication within the electricity value chain, and how it affects the living standards of the people. As a descriptive study, it sourced information from secondary data, used content analysis method for discussion of the thematic issues and anchored the study on elite theory, primarily to demonstrate how a tiny segment of the society makes policies that target their mutual interests and benefits, other than the masses. The findings show, firstly, that government’s interference and excessive control contributes to the failures in the reform and privatisation of the power sector. Secondly, members of the public pay exorbitant cost to use electricity facility even when it is scarcely available. Thirdly, the present predicaments of the power sector are not different from what it was before government embarked on the sector’s privatisation. It recommends repositioning the privatised power sector operations for greater efficiency in service delivery.