●●Warns against water sector privatisation
A university don, Professor Hosea Mande of Kaduna State University, has called on the Federal Government to urgently review or terminate existing investments in the power sector, citing continued inefficiencies and failures since privatization. He also strongly opposed the proposed privatisation of Nigeria’s water sector, warning that it could lead to outcomes similar to those plaguing the electricity industry.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a programme organized by Public Service International (PSI) in Kano, themed “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Mande stated that the privatisation of the electricity sector has not yielded the expected improvements in service delivery since its inception in 2013.
“From 2023 to date, the nation has witnessed multiple national grid collapses – five in 2023, three in 2024, and six already in 2025,” Mande said. “This clearly indicates a system that is failing, not improving.”
He further criticised the poor state of electricity metering, saying many Nigerians still lack access to prepaid meters, making billing arbitrary and unreliable. “Without meters, consumers cannot know what they’re consuming or what they’re being billed for,” he said.
Mande emphasised that critical sectors such as electricity, water, and waste management are public goods and should not be left in the hands of private investors driven solely by profit. He noted that the government has the capacity and resources to manage these sectors effectively if it takes full ownership and responsibility.
“These sectors represent our common heritage. Privatising them without results only deepens the suffering of Nigerians,” he added.
On the issue of water privatisation, Mande urged stakeholders, especially trade unions, to come together and resist the move, warning that it could lead to further hardship for ordinary citizens. “We must learn from the failures in the electricity sector and not repeat the same mistake with water,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Comrade Ayuba Barde, the Zonal Organising Secretary (North West) of the National Union of Electricity Employees, echoed Mande’s sentiments. Representing the Union Chairman, Barde lamented the negative consequences of electricity privatisation on both citizens and the economy.
“Before the privatisation, we warned Nigerians that this policy was not in their best interest,” Barde said. “Unfortunately, we were criticised and accused of having ulterior motives. But now, the effects are clear for everyone to see.”
He added that most of the investors in the power sector have failed to reinvest in the system, focusing instead on profits while service delivery has worsened. “Nigerians are paying heavily for electricity that is neither reliable nor consistent,” he concluded.
