The Nigeria Youth Forum (NYF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to revoke licences of underperforming electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and invite credible investors with the technical capacity and financial credibility to rescue the country’s ailing power sector.
This call comes amid growing public dissatisfaction over the persistent inefficiencies in Nigeria’s electricity supply and the widely criticized privatisation model that, according to stakeholders, has failed to deliver value for money to the Nigerian populace.
Press statement released in Abuja at the weekend, the National President of NYF, Toriah Filani, expressed deep concern over the sector’s dismal output.
He noted that the total electricity supplied to Nigeria’s population of over 200 million people is significantly lower than the power supply allocated to a single international airport in Europe.
Filani said, “Compare the Amsterdam International Airport with Nigeria as a whole. The power available at that airport alone surpasses Nigeria’s entire national grid output.
“This reflects poorly on our leadership and infrastructure planning. When you also look at Jeddah International Airport and compare it to the Nigerian situation, you cannot help but feel disheartened. Nigeria claims to be the giant of Africa, yet its power generation capacity tells a different story.”
He further stated that although Nigeria currently generates about 7,000 megawatts of electricity, only about 5,000 megawatts can be distributed due to obsolete infrastructure and the failure of DisCos to invest in essential distribution materials.
This bottleneck, according to the Forum, continues to cripple the nation’s power delivery system and frustrates economic growth.
The forum maintained that if the country fails to address the crisis in the power sector now, it might miss its last chance to salvage the situation, adding that continuous self-deception will only deepen the suffering of Nigerians under a system that is no longer sustainable.
“The time for power sector reform is now or never. We cannot continue to deceive ourselves. If we can’t fix electricity now under the new Electricity Act and investment roadmap, then we may never get it right again,” Filani declared.
Beyond criticism, the forum recommended a strategic and solution-driven approach to resolving the crisis. It emphasized the need for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to enforce a performance-based regulatory framework that holds DisCos accountable to clear benchmarks in customer service, infrastructure investment, and energy distribution efficiency.
According to the group, licences should be subjected to periodic reviews, and any operator found wanting should be replaced by more competent and transparent investors.
The NYF also proposed the creation of a DisCo Recovery Task Force, mandated to audit past investments and operational records of distribution companies since privatisation.
This task force, it said, would help identify failing operators and open the door for new players with stronger technical and financial capacity.
In addition, the forum called on the federal government to empower state governments to drive subnational electricity markets by establishing a Subnational Power Autonomy Acceleration Fund. This, it argued, would enable states to develop localized power solutions using the legal backing of the new Electricity Act.
Addressing Nigeria’s energy deficit, Toriah advocated the promotion of alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, water, and waste-to-energy systems.
These renewable options, he noted, are not only viable but critical to achieving energy independence. To accelerate adoption, the group urged the federal government to introduce tax incentives, import waivers, and funding support for renewable energy projects, especially in underserved communities.
Furthermore, the NYF raised concerns over the lack of transparency in billing systems and the continued reliance on estimated billing.
It advised that the government mandate prepaid metering across all customer classes and ensure that billing practices are regulated, fair, and technology-driven, highlighting the importance of customer empowerment, proposing the development of a digital platform, an Electricity Watchdog app through which citizens can report outages, exploitative billing, and other service failures.
Filani believes that long-term stability in the sector depends on linking electricity planning with industrial and economic hubs. By ensuring reliable power supply to manufacturing and agro-processing zones, the government can unlock job creation and support inclusive growth.
This, the Advocate said, would justify the economic cost of electricity reform while reducing Nigeria’s dependence on generator-powered businesses.
The NYF position aligns with recent remarks by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo State, who criticized the ongoing inefficiencies in the power sector despite its privatisation.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Oshiomhole said, “I had to personally purchase a transformer here in Abuja, only to beg the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to connect it.
“I also paid for its installation. Afterward, it was taken over as their asset, and yet we still pay exorbitant monthly bills. So, what capital investment are these DisCos really making?”
He further stated, “The whole idea of privatisation was that private investors would inject capital. But today, individuals, communities, and even state governments are funding transformers, cables, and poles, while the DisCos continue to issue bills as though they made the investments themselves. Even the Federal Government, which holds a 60 percent stake, does not have a controlling say.”
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also voiced concern, noting that the original objective of privatisation was for private companies to invest in modernising and expanding infrastructure. Instead, he said, they have merely taken over existing assets without significant improvements.
President Tinubu himself has admitted that the privatization of the power sector has not achieved its intended outcomes.
He acknowledged that over 90 million Nigerians remain without access to electricity, while the national grid serves only about 15 percent of total demand.
According to the President, the grid capacity has only marginally improved from 3,000 megawatts in 2013 to just 4,000 megawatts over a decade, far below the projected 40,000 megawatts target set for 2020 under the original roadmap.
To address these setbacks, President Tinubu announced a $122.2 billion investment blueprint under the National Integrated Electricity Policy (NIEP), aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure by 2045.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, explained that the NIEP also focuses on integrating renewable energy and expanding subnational electricity markets. He described the policy as a “living document” shaped by input from both public and private stakeholders.
Nevertheless, the NYF maintains that new policies without structural, ethical, and operational reforms will not deliver the desired results.
“Privatisation without accountability is a fraud against the Nigerian people,” Filani said. “The presidency must show sincerity by enforcing existing laws, promoting transparency, and embracing innovation.
“It is time to revoke the licences of non-performing DisCos and bring in competent investors who can truly light up the nation.”
As Nigeria’s power crisis continues to hinder industrialization and deepen economic hardship, observers say the coming months will reveal whether the Tinubu administration possesses the political will to implement bold reforms or whether it will maintain the status quo, leaving millions of Nigerians in darkness.
