Engr. Abiodun is a member of professional bodies, including Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE 2027). He has served the country in various capacities. In an interview with NewsThumb Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Sotayo Olayinka, a few days ago at his office in Abuja, he discussed several issues related to the power sector in Nigeria. Experts…

Can we meet you, Sir?

My name is James Abiodun Olotu, retired technocrat. My last job was at Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. I am a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and other professional bodies, and I hold a PhD from Powell University in America. Our assignment at NDPHC was to build 20 power plants of 250 megawatts each and to build transmission lines and substations across the length and breadth of Nigeria. We were also to undertake numerous projects nationwide, including developing gas infrastructure to connect NGC to other power plants.

I was MD from 2006. When I left in 2016, we had delivered six out of the power plants, with three and a half left at about 70 percent completion and 2700 lines as of when I left. In Lagos, 66 projects were completed, including the Alagbon power project. The biggest transmission substation as of today is the one at Oke Aro in Lagos, with 1.5 megawatts transmission capacity on a 33 kV powerline.

It is the biggest in Nigeria and is located in Lagos State. The Lagos State Governor at the time, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was instrumental in securing the land space used, which continues to serve the people of Lagos State to date. The projects were all over the nation. In 2016, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo misunderstood the power sector programs and removed us without going through the law of CAMA, as it is a private sector entity where rules of disengagement are very clear.

Since I left, the 2600 megawatts we developed have since collapsed to around 309 megawatts. The balance of the projects we left, which would have been completed in 2018, remains unfinished to date. The people of Nigeria are encouraged that when dealing with the welfare of the people, we need those who are competent in their professional areas with the capacity to do the job, not based on tribal or emotional sentiments. The company, as a private business, is now run like a civil service job. All the beautiful virtues of running a private company have disappeared, which is why things that should grow in Nigeria are not.

Since you have left office and many are advocating for professionals like you to come back, is there any move or advice you have given to this country?

All of us voted for APC not just for the party alone but based on integrity and feedback on competency. We heard of Mr. President’s resilience when he was governor of Lagos State. We saw him tower above other Presidential candidates and wanted to join him in building this nation. Nigeria is blessed with natural resources, human capacity, and land, but the only thing we lack is good leadership to drive the economy to prosperity. If we now have a leader who can drive the economy away from the precipice, who can turn things around and bring us back to growth, the process might be tough because it is easier to destroy than to build. It is painful to build. My appeal is for knowledgeable people in their fields to join Mr. President in building this nation. Those who are good in finance, agriculture, petroleum, etc., should be brought together to join forces with Mr. President. I know that with those professionals, Nigeria can move forward.

Now that there has been little development since you left, would you come back if you were called to fix the national grid and transmission challenges in the power sector?

I am ready to come back to work with Mr. President to achieve his goals of renewed hope and ensure power supply is improved. The answer to why there has been no progress since we left is that certain things, like human capacity to drive the mission some other persons had done, must be needed before any impact can be made. When people are employed based on sentiment and not on merit, you would not achieve anything for the country. What Nigeria needs is the best hands regardless of region; be it male or female, it doesn’t matter. When you find people without knowledge spending three years on a project, technocrats would just spend two months and get it done. That’s the difference, and that’s what we want Mr. President to bring back to governance.

Now, these are the brief problems in the power sector. There are three problems: one is management, and the second is the problem of capacity. When you have a bucket of water and you pour a little bowl of garri that would not be enough for plenty of people into it, the capacity available in the country now is old. Twenty or thirty-year-old equipment cannot deliver optimally compared to new modern ones. That’s why we keep hovering around 4000 megawatts. Let me give you a quick example: at Ayede station in Ibadan, we upgraded the substation, which belongs to TCN, by adding one transformer. Three months later, the old one got burnt. Imagine if there was no alternative. About four years after we added these transformers, the old ones there caught fire again. We had to make use of the new ones so that people did not know there were any power issues at all.

Most often, you hear we have 4000 megawatts. It’s not as if there is no additional power available, but due to aged capacity, it cannot be utilized. So we need to build capacity in all areas of the value chain, like gas turbines, transmission, generation, and distribution. Talking about hydropower, you must have water, which is the fuel for the plants. Talking about waste, you must be able to generate power from it. I see no reason why Lagos cannot have at least one power plant operated on waste.

While we blame the Minister of Power, we should know he’s just managing the non-availability of capacity. That’s the fact, looking for how best to manage the old facilities in order to maximize profits from the systems. Having bands A, B, and C is not the best thing to do, but it’s the best he can do under the present circumstances. Egypt, in the space of five years, built about 10,000 megawatts, but in Nigeria, we keep struggling with probing this or that. With such, we can’t build the capacities needed.

It has been a heartfelt desire of Mr. President, while he was governor of Lagos State, to build a state power plant. Now that he’s in charge, would you support him and share your experience to help him succeed in doing that?

Sure, I will, but there is a caveat. Power is not something anyone can just jump into. It is an expensive project. The equipment and technologies are not built in Nigeria; their purchases are domiciled in dollars. The cost of one megawatt is about 1.2 million US dollars, not including distribution. Based on financial strength, not many states can achieve this, maybe five at most, like Lagos, Rivers, Delta, and a few others. What happens to the other states?

Population too might prevent some states from achieving this, and Mr. President needs people from both densely and sparsely populated areas to vote for him during electioneering. Only about five states can generate power independently, and it would cause controversies if states with grid power release it to others while they themselves cannot generate any. The federal government must therefore not abdicate its responsibilities to other states. One way to go about it is to encourage states that can afford it to proceed while compensating those who host the grid sites. The truth is, he’s not just the APC leader but the leader of the whole country and must deliver on his campaign promises. We are ready to support him to succeed.

Private organizations can also support him in achieving many things. For example, NDPHC, which is owned by the three tiers of government, can help Mr. President achieve success. The experience, knowledge base, and data bank the company had then might not still be there now. States that want to build power stations should consult them for expertise. That is one way the government can support states in building power stations. Government consultants in charge would be available to guide the states on channeling resources where needed. I met Governor Fashola of Lagos then to advise on power transmission projects. Anyone in charge now can guide states ready to build power to do the same. States like Lagos can be guided based on their waste generation levels to convert it to power and clean up the state from waste pollution.

Governor Sanwo-Olu has done this recently. States with the capacity can follow suit. It is an expensive project. A state I won’t mention went ahead with a power project without due consultations and could not get it right due to the wrong materials used. Making laws and regulations to do it can also help.

As you are versed in building the biggest transmission substation in Oke Aro, Lagos, what’s your advice on solar energy?

There are many technological sources to generate power now. What is needed is to look at some areas with an abundance of water; hydropower is good for places like that. Areas with large land space and abundant sunshine can use it for solar energy. States like Jigawa, Kano, and Nasarawa have plenty of sunshine. Individuals too can utilize solar power. In my office, we have been on solar since you came in. Solar is cheaper to manage, though it may be costly initially but becomes cheaper to maintain over time. States should consider natural resources available for their choice of power projects.

Lagos, which has waste, should not compete with Kano, which has a large land mass for solar energy. States need to utilize available resources. Charcoal too is good as an alternative power source but has environmental pollution issues. Enugu coal burns well but releases unfriendly emissions. The world is now moving away from such sources. There is even a technology that converts coal ashes to materials for cement production.

Right technology is required to undertake power projects as it usually runs into several millions of dollars. Through that, we build the entire nation and make the economy vibrant for growth.

Let me show you the difference between thermal and solar energy. Thermal can withstand the power capacity of industrial machineries when switched on and off based on its thermal capacity, but solar cannot withstand such energy consumption. Areas with high power consumption like industries can be scheduled for thermal energy, while areas with low power consumption can be powered by solar energy.

What’s your take on the challenges facing the Mambilla power project and your wishes for the second year of Mr. President in office?

Mambilla has been on the drawing board since I was in school over 40 years ago. It’s one of the biggest hydro power projects we could have built, but greed and selfishness have prevented our capacity to build Mambilla. Around 2014, Mambilla was transferred to NDPHC, my company, because they discovered it could only be built by a private organization and not the public sector. As you know, bureaucracy in the public sector is cut off in the private sector. It was brought to us, but the politics of successive governments came in and took it back to the Ministry of Power.

There are two problems with Mambilla. One is that someone alleged the Mambilla project was awarded to him, and it has since been under litigation. My problem is that people should be thinking business. The public sector doesn’t think business, but the private sector does. The point is, the nation should consider that about 2000 megawatts would be coming from a power station and should not be toyed with. That is power generation for millions of homes, and billions of Naira would be earned by the success of such projects. Imagine the number of people that would empower.

The location of Mambilla is in Taraba, and this can be transmitted anywhere in the country. Under the litigation, a fine of billions of Naira was to be paid, and others said it should not be paid. For instance, if such a fine had been paid six years ago, Mambilla would have been completed by now, and several billions of Naira would have been earned by charging current billing costs, which would also positively impact the country.

Thank you for your time, Sir.

Thank you.

Dr. Hassan Saddiq, a security strategy expert with a Ph.D. in Security Strategy. His also the spokesperson for the City Boys Movement campaign organization and a member of NOC Marketing and Sponsorship Commission Nigeria Olympic Committee.
Expert*

Can we meet you and what’s your role in the 2023 election?

Well, my name is Dr. Hassan Saddiq, a security strategy expert with a Ph.D. in Security Strategy. Also the spokesperson for the City Boys Movement campaign organization.

How can you compare President Tinubu’s one-year administration to the previous one?

Thank you. Before the election, I met with Asiwaju Tinubu somewhere and advised him to reach out to then-President Buhari about why VAT should not be increased because it would promote poverty. Most essential commodities like flour and wheat should not be taxed. An increase in these taxes makes the prices of commodities inaccessible to common Nigerians. For example, bread is now too expensive. I advised him that widening the VAT net would bring in more taxable items that would offset the taxes on essential commodities for poor Nigerians.

Looking at President Tinubu’s government, it faces two major challenges: economic and security. We have short, medium, and long-term economic strategies to tackle them. Tinubu, as of today, has been able to address long-term solutions head-on by removing the fuel subsidy. However, he has not been able to attend to short and medium-term issues, which is why people are yet to see results on the short-term agenda. The cost of living is still high.

When you see citizens eating from the dustbin and petty cases at the police stations, and crime rates increasing, you know your poverty index has increased. One year into his administration, the area we have done well is long-term strategies, like removing the fuel subsidy to allow the government to access more funds for other projects. The monthly FAAC allocations have increased to states. Delta State, for instance, received allocations as high as 38 billion Naira monthly. When these states start investing in both human and capital projects, the trajectory of good results will begin to show. Coastal road projects that are currently being embarked upon will later yield economic benefits, similar to what America did in 1817, which today yields huge commercial benefits. It was condemned when first introduced.

Internal revenue policies should be enhanced to tax the rich while benefiting the poor. Cybersecurity taxation should be applied to transactions of 20 million Naira and above, as trades at that level indicate wealth. Mr. President should ensure people benefit from the transactions of the rich, thereby aligning citizens with his policies. Agriculture as a long-term economic strategy should include establishing food reserves to keep people alive. The President should know how many silos are needed for grain storage, engage farmers in business to buy grains for storage, and subsidize them for replanting and consumption.

America ensures food security by supporting farmers, which keeps them farming and ensures food availability. President Tinubu should prioritize food security to maintain societal stability. I suggest the government focus on short-term strategies to address hunger immediately.

Regarding electricity, as of today, the number of subscribers is 12 million, but only 4 million are metered. We have the capacity but lack gas. Industries and private partnerships should be encouraged, and Band A customers should receive subsidies to support their operations. Immediate attention should be given as incentives. If we have a 10,000 MW generation capacity with adequate gas supply, there would be competition, leading to cheaper electricity.

President Tinubu’s administration needs to address the exchange rate. Countries that devalue their currency rarely succeed statistically. IMF and World Bank policies that influence such devaluation prevent industrialization. Converting local currency into dollars for importing machinery becomes costlier in nations with devalued currencies, hindering industrialization. For instance, the Dangote refinery, initially costing 15 billion dollars, would be much more expensive now due to the current exchange rate. The government should float the dollar lower. Around 50-70% of dollar issuance by the CBN is for political purposes rather than business.

What’s your opinion about Mr. President’s performance in one year?

I will speak about the power sector. I have met with and shared my views with President Tinubu. I see him as eager to fix this country. As an expert, my view is different from the general public. I rate him highly in terms of long-term strategy. However, most Nigerians want immediate social benefits, which long-term strategies do not address. Mr. President has focused on long-term strategies in his first year. In his second year, he should prioritize short and medium-term solutions to show clear progress and silence his opponents.

Regarding security, the service chiefs have performed well. Recent swift responses to kidnappings show that security operations are now proactive. The President has allocated substantial funds for military operations. However, I foresee danger in the area of the National Security Advisor’s office trying to establish a special force, which could lead to conflicts of interest. His office was established for advisory purposes, not for creating special forces, which could lead to sabotage.

Support groups who campaigned for President Tinubu feel used and dumped. I drafted a National Security Policy with four special policies: Economy, Unity, Security, and National Interest, which could drive national progress. However, there has been no engagement. During Babangida’s era, Nigeria spent over 10 billion Naira on crises in neighboring countries. Nigerian companies should be number one in construction, but South African companies like DStv and MTN repatriate a significant portion of their earnings abroad. Our country cannot sanction them due to the fact that our citizens work for them.

The military should enhance both defensive and offensive operations. For example, Iran’s offensive capability allows them to launch attacks, while Israel’s defensive capacity prevents those attacks from reaching their targets.

Regarding the inclusiveness of Mr. President’s administration, I am one of those who feel forgotten. I have advocated for knowledgeable governance. My City Boys Movement worked for his emergence, but no appointment where I can add value has been given to me. I feel used and dumped. My economic blueprint took me three years to develop, and I believe I could contribute significantly. There are places today where I cannot wear my campaign cap without fear of being attacked because there is nothing to show for it.

I advise Mr. President to revisit support groups that worked during his campaign for appointments. I have often told Seyi, the President’s son, that I am interested in governance. People should be invited for presentations and appraised for appointments. I have four strategic policies to work with if called upon. I used to call Mr. President’s manifestos “Eldorado to Joy,” but today we are not even at Eldorado, let alone Joy. The government should bring people who worked for him on board.
The EFCC has performed well in fighting corruption. We have seen ministers suspended and governors invited for questioning, which never happened before. If this momentum continues, corruption will be significantly reduced.

My last wish for Mr. President is success. I will continue to pray for him. It is not an easy task to govern a nation like Nigeria. He needs wisdom and sound health to lead. He should address untouched areas and look for capable people who can contribute to his government’s prosperity.

Dr. OBIAGELI Vivian Egwuatu Sonny-Nsirim( MBA, BSc., MCIA, ACIPD UK,UN Volunteer)
Founder and CEO Young Moms Support Initiative/ Young Moms Forum.
(2 Million+ Mothers Movement) a chartered administrator, author, multiple award-winning transformational coach, guidance counselor, speaks on the journey of the non-governmental organization and the enviable performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s one-year administration. Excerpts below:

How far has your organization performed since establishment?

Thank you. Young Mum Support Initiative has done well in creating support for over 2 million members on our platforms. It’s a forum for young mums and a community where women come to share ideas, experiences of motherhood, parenting, business careers, and proffering solutions to how we can better ourselves. Our initiatives have done well by empowering more than 50,000 women in skills acquisition because we found out that lack of skills and money are the roots of poverty and lead to domestic violence. We decided to train women on basic skills to snowball them into economic value. Our mission is to empower women with leadership qualities.

We have also decided to support Mr. President Tinubu during election campaigns, partnering with the All Progressive Congress (APC) because we know that President Tinubu has women at heart due to the levels of support he gave to his wife, First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for years. To know what a man can do, check the state of his immediate family. Oprah Winfrey says, “If you empower a woman, you empower a nation.” Women, being the bedrock of any family, have the skills to care for the old, young, and everyone.
The Nigerian youth are characterized as ambitious, enthusiastic, energetic and promising. They are considered vulnerable in society because of the rapid pace of change they experience at this time in their lives. Mothers are known for mentoring , coaching, guiding and counseling the youth.

We want to use this opportunity to appreciate the President for appointing women as ministers, and plead as Olivier twist that Mr. President should also appoint more women in his cabinet and agencies.

A country’s development is closely tied to the growth and empowerment of its women and youth. Investing in their education, health, sports and economic opportunities can lead to significant increases in productivity, innovation, and overall well-being, ultimately contributing to the nation’s growth and prosperity.” Any investment in youth and women would help in no small measure to reduce the level of poverty in the country, noting Mr. President’s antecedents of building men and institutions is an added advantage to our great nation, Nigeria.

Another area that need urgent attention is the of Peace and Unity of our country Nigeria. There is need for *Nigeria Integration*. National integration is the awareness of a common identity amongst the citizens of a country. It means that though the individuals belong to different communities, castes, religions, cultures and regions and speak different languages, all of them recognize the fact that they are one.National integration fosters nationalism. It is opposed to communalism, linguistic jingoism, regionalism, and similar fissiparous forces.

Nigeria is a nation plagued by deep-seated division among its diverse population, leading to suspicion, distrust, and antagonism. This has had far-reaching consequences, including hindering good health, orderly growth, development, stable democratic governance, unity, and even the survival of the nation. Despite various measures and approaches employed by successive governments to foster unity and preserve the nation, Nigeria continues to face mounting challenges of insecurity, sectarian violence, ethnic strife, political instability, and the looming threat of disintegration.
A united country and people are better equipped to tackle the development, nationhood, and stability challenges confronting Nigeria. However, achieving national integration requires a conscious effort by both political leaders and citizens, with the right mindset and tools. Ministry of National Integration is very important.

There are many NGOs in the nation. How do you source funds? Do you rely on government or international bodies for support?

While some source for international funds, what we do is empower each other. I have over 2 million women on my platform. I call it ‘Women Support Women Forum.’ We look at what you can teach others. It’s borne out of compassion. My philosophy is to make a difference, especially in young women and youths in Africa. We have cut across all 36 Nigerian states and the diaspora with coordinators trying to help. From our concepts, when we empower a woman, you are to empower ten more women. These people step forward to empower others in society.

How do you monitor those you empower to reach out to others?

We have monitoring and evaluation committees and coordinators in all 36 states. You need to know people’s areas of specialization. Some enrollees are guided to their talent traits based on responses to questions we asked them. This determines the kind of training we give.

As the President marks one year in office, what is your scorecard for this administration?

Thank you so much. We have seen our roads being constructed in the area of infrastructure. Abuja has changed within a few months. I would like to thank Mr. President and the Minister of FCT because when you work with the right people, you get your results, and that’s what we have witnessed.

With what the First Lady is doing with her initiatives, how do you encourage her to do more and partner with more people like your organization based on your experience?

I would like to use this opportunity to thank our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her motherhood activities to the nation. Though she’s not a noise-making type, she is working through her initiatives with empowerment for women. I would also like to partner with her initiatives because that would help her widen her scope and also assist us in reaching out to more women. In our case, we have experience. We don’t need to gather registrations or lists of beneficiaries afresh because we already have people with experience of what their needs would be. When you get the right people on board, you achieve wider accomplishments. Our organization would be glad to work with her to empower more women and continue with what she has started.

We are aware women agitated for more women participation in leadership, but from experience, some women have betrayed the trust reposed in them. What is your opinion?

I would like to correct an impression. The fact that some women have failed does not mean there are no others who are passionate and professional in their careers and can perform well. The point is to find them, and I am one of them. I have been working with my NGO for the past eight years without any support from the government or international bodies. There are also many out there. When you find the right people, you get the job done.

**Newsthumb:** How do you advise women in government, especially ministers?

Women are known to be multi-taskers and should use their positions to be good ambassadors to womanhood and even to men. You need to show quality leadership wherever you find yourselves. Nigeria needs mothers, and I, therefore, appeal to women in government to be good mothers to the nation. In our street parlance, “don’t fall our hands.” Lead by example.

What’s your take on economic imbalances, especially the high cost of living and education?

When our President gets the right hands and ministers, as I said, we can start generating revenues to fix our nation. Our education structures also must be gotten right. We need quality and qualified teachers who are passionate about impacting children with the right education. Teachers, too, need sustainable remuneration as encouragement to do well.

How do you wish Mr. President on his one year in office, and what gives you confidence that he still possesses the sagacity to deliver quality leadership?

I believe in him going by his antecedents in Lagos State. I know him as a team worker. As they say, “Show me your friend, and I will know who you are.” He’s been working with teams of people that are still relevant to date.

Lastly, what we are saying is that let our President engage more right teams on board, and his second year would be more progressive than the first year. I wish Mr. President, our daddy, the Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria well. I remember during election campaigns, some people said he couldn’t make it. Now he’s making it, getting stronger, and doing well. However, we want to thank him first of all for empowering women and youths in his administration. We also want him to look into the Humanitarian Ministry, Education, Women Affairs, and Agriculture as key ministries. When you have the right people, you can grow your economy to an enviable level. We wish him a happy one-year anniversary celebration. May the good Lord grant him more wisdom and sound health to lead Nigeria to greater heights. I believe that the best is yet to come. God bless Nigeria.