Usman Mohammed, the former head of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, has identified the primary reasons behind the country’s persistent power supply issues. Speaking on the Nevon Podcast hosted by Oseni Rufai, Mohammed stated that the nation’s energy struggles stem from a cycle of repeated governance errors.
He argued that the federal government frequently appoints individuals lacking the necessary expertise to oversee the power sector. Furthermore, he highlighted corruption as a significant factor preventing progress. While acknowledging that former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to reform the sector, Mohammed noted that those efforts ultimately failed due to inadequate research and poor planning.
Mohammed emphasized that Nigeria often initiates projects without conducting thorough studies, leading to inevitable failure. This ongoing crisis has remained unresolved for over a decade following the privatization of the power industry. Currently, Nigeria struggles to generate between 3,000 and 6,000 megawatts of electricity to support a population of roughly 250 million people.
