‎Stakeholders in Nigeria’s power sector have called on the Federal Government to prioritise the enforcement of safety standards, ensure transparency in electrical contracts and allocate dedicated funding for the certification of electrical technicians.
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‎This demand came during the NESI Safety Strategic Workshop held on Thursday, where industry leaders warned that failure to act could jeopardize lives, infrastructure, and investments.
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‎National President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis, who delivered the opening address, said the objective of the workshop was to build advocacy partnerships to tackle funding challenges affecting safety compliance and regulation in the power sector.
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‎“Funding is an enabler for safety, standards, regulations and quality in electricity sector,” he said. “Unfortunately, public discourse in the electricity sector often focuses on tariffs and generation costs while neglecting safety, which is essential to protect lives and property.”
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‎Okorie decried the politicization of power sector contracts, saying: “If the contract bidding processes are not properly handled in a way that qualified companies are given awards, the hope of addressing safety issues in the sector will be far from being realised.”
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‎He added that awarding contracts based on political and personal affiliations has led to the use of substandard materials and unqualified personnel, in violation of Section 176(m) of the Electricity Act 2023.
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‎”Worst in this regard is the corrupt practices of upfront collection of 30%, or 40% as inducement to be favoured for award of electricity contracts. This promotes the use of substandard materials and use of quacks without Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) Competency Certificate to carry out installations thereby violating provisions of Section 176(m) of Electricity Act 2023,” he stated.
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‎He also raised concern over the growing number of uncertified electrical technicians operating across Nigeria. “Our research has shown that there are ten electrical technicians practicing electrical installation in the 8,809 electoral wards in the country without NEMSA electrical installation competency certificate,” he revealed.
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‎“This means we have a minimum of 88,090 electrical installers in the country without certification. This portrays danger and should be addressed.”
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‎Okorie proposed that federal, state, and local governments fund the training and certification of electrical artisans to reduce risks and improve standards. He announced the unveiling of the NESI Safety Portal for tracking certified technicians nationwide and urged participants to support the creation of a National Electricity Safety Advocacy Support Committee.
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‎Chairman of the workshop, Engr. Samuel Dangana, emphasised that safety challenges stem largely from underfunding and weak enforcement.
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‎“We hope that the outcome of this workshop will influence policy decisions that prioritize dedicated funding, effective resource utilization, and robust accountability mechanisms,” he said.
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‎Dangana advocated for collaborative efforts involving the government, private sector, and civil society. “Safety is not the sole responsibility of regulators,” he said. “It requires a multi-stakeholder coalition.”
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‎He proposed key actions, including legislative reform, public-private partnerships, capacity building, mandatory safety compliance before contract awards, and a dedicated Safety Enforcement Fund.
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‎“The media must help amplify these issues, hold stakeholders accountable, and bring safety concerns into public discourse,” he added, urging all present to use advocacy to “drive reform where formal systems fall short.”
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‎National President of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Chief J.J. Etim also called for urgent action.
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‎He stressed that many artisans and technicians remain unaware of safety codes.
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‎“We train and present them to NEMSA for certification, but that is not enough,” he said. Etim appealed for funding support to train more professionals and ensure power supply systems meet regulatory standards.
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‎He further condemned the current contract award system. “Electrification contracts should be awarded to NEMSA Certified Electrical Contractors,” he said, warning against the trend of civil servants and directors awarding projects to themselves and using uncertified individuals for execution.
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‎President of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), Mr. Jackson Nwosu, said electricity safety remains a major challenge.
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‎“Despite expanding infrastructure, public risk continues due to insufficient funding for safety enforcement, poor coordination among regulatory bodies, and limited policy focus on prevention,” he said.
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‎AICAN, he noted, is proposing a “partnership-driven advocacy campaign aimed at systemic reform.”
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‎The stakeholders pledged to keep pressing for policy change that would embed safety, transparency, and professionalism as pillars of Nigeria’s electricity supply system.