The president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ali Rabiu, has said that addressing the challenges in the power sector requires a holistic approach.
Mr Rabiu made the remark during a webinar organised by the NSE board of fellows on Tuesday. He said the approach requires innovation, collaboration and visionary leadership.
Mr Rabiu attributed the decline in the power sector to long-standing political interference.
According to him, the politics of energy encompasses a myriad of complex issues, including policy formulation, regulation, investment, and international relations.
“It is intertwined with socioeconomic dynamics, environmental considerations and geopolitical realities. Therefore, addressing the challenges within our energy sector requires a holistic approach that embraces innovation, collaboration and visionary leadership,” he said.
Mr Rabiu commended the board for its steadfast resolve in bringing critical issues to the forefront.
He said the webinar would foster meaningful discourse and strengthen engineers’ collective role in national development.
“The topic of this webinar addresses one of our country’s most pressing challenges — power, the backbone of industrialisation and a catalyst for growth across all vital sectors.
“As engineers, we are committed to guiding the Federal Government in properly constituting the management structure of all relevant agencies and operationalising the sector. We will also support policies that ensure a reliable electricity supply, recognising that national development depends on it,” he said.
The guest speaker, Meyen Etukudo, special adviser to the Akwa Ibom governor on energy, said the power sector faces significant challenges, particularly due to heavy reliance on thermal generation, which is both polluting and unsustainable.
Mr Etukudo emphasised the need for a balanced power generation mix that incorporates clean and renewable energy sources. He noted that Nigeria’s current energy mix is skewed towards thermal generation, with most power plants running on gas, leading to environmental degradation, health challenges and economic losses.
He advocated increased investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower to reduce dependence on thermal generation.
Mr Etukudo observed that Nigeria’s abundant sunlight and tropical climate make solar energy a viable option.
“Nigerian engineers must seize this opportunity to drive innovation and capacity building,” he said.
He also expressed concern that Nigerian engineers had been relegated to the background in the sector, with artisans and foreign experts handling critical projects.
Mr Etukudo urged engineers to take a more proactive role in policy advisory, innovation and project management. He stressed the need for engineers to lead project teams, collaborate with international experts and develop local solutions to build capacity and reduce dependence on foreign expertise.
Mr Etukudo questioned why no seasoned power engineer had been appointed power minister since independence.
“The problems in the power sector are not only technical but also political. Nigerian engineers must participate in elective politics and influence policy decisions to drive meaningful change.
“They must also be actively involved in regulation and governance to ensure energy efficiency and effective demand management,” he said.
He added that engineers have a critical role to play in rebooting Nigeria’s power sector and must adopt a proactive approach to drive innovation, build capacity and influence policy decisions for sustainable development and energy security.
(NAN)
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