Power Sector Reform in Nigeria: Can the Roadmap Turn on the Lights?

摘要

After over two decades of electricity sector privatisation and liberalisation programmes with different levels of success and failure, certain critical criteria for success in liberalisation of electricity sector have been identified. Doubtless, these factors may not be foolproof, but being the outcome of such an extensive and in-depth study of a wide spectrum of electricity sector liberalisation programmes, their logic is compelling. It would be absurd to talk of a liberalisation scheme without a role for these factors. They are imperatives. According to Bacon and Besant-Jones, these imperatives include: an arrangement to assuage investors' concern by providing necessary guarantees in conjunction with multilateral financial institutions; protection against uncertainty in the regulation of tariffs and licensing; a regime of transparent and competitive procedure for the right to enter the power market; and a sequencing of reforms in the order of amendment to the legal and regulatory framework, followed by restructuring and, subsequently, privatisation. Are these imperatives factored into the Nigerian Roadmap?