Power: Stakeholders Unite to Fight Corruption, Enforce Safety

Public and private sector actors are joining forces to confront corruption and funding challenges undermining safety compliance in Nigeria’s electricity sector, as the NESI Safety Strategic Workshop holds in Abuja on July 31, 2025.

‎The one-day workshop, convened by the Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) in collaboration with key stakeholders in the power sector, will take place at Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Area 11, Abuja.

‎APPA National President, Chief Princewill Okorie disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

‎Themed “Building Partnership for Advocacy Against Funding Challenges Affecting Compliance and Enforcement of Electricity Safety Standards and Regulations in Nigeria,” the event aims to spotlight how procurement abuse, delayed payments, bribery, and poor enforcement of installer certifications are threatening safe and standard electricity delivery nationwide.

‎“The abuse of procurement processes, corrupt practices of demanding upfront payment as gratification to qualify for contract award or payment after doing the job, delay in payment to contractors for jobs done, and lack of enforcement of competency certification for electrical installers are factors that militate against delivery of safe, standard and quality electricity projects and services in the country,” the organisers stated.

‎The workshop will be chaired by Alhaji Abba Kaka, Managing Director of Abkama Group of Companies, while the Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Engr. Aliyu Takur Tahir, will formally declare it open.

‎Expected presenters include officials from the Standards Organization of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance, Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

‎Participants will also include members of the Association of Rural Electrification Contractors (ARECON), the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), power sector regulators, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

‎A key highlight will be the unveiling of the NESI Safety Portal, a digital platform designed for collating electrical installation data and disseminating information on stakeholder activities. Also to be launched is the 10th Legislative Action on Safety Standards and Regulations in the Electricity Sector, a compendium of technical papers and speeches from the 2024 NESI Safety Conference.

‎The workshop, according to APPA, will provide a vital platform for developing stakeholder-driven advocacy strategies aimed at securing effective funding and ensuring higher safety standards in Nigeria’s electricity industry.