A Kaduna State University don, Professor Hosea Mande, has urged the Federal Government to sack all private investors in the power sector, saying privatisation has failed to deliver steady electricity.
Speaking in Kano at a Public Service International (PSI) event on Thursday, Mande warned that privatising the water sector would repeat the mistakes of the electricity industry.
He revealed that since 2023, Nigeria has recorded 14 national grid collapses — five in 2023, three in 2024, and six so far in 2025. He also faulted poor metering, with many consumers unable to monitor usage or charges.
“These are our common heritage. If government reclaims ownership, it can run them efficiently,” he said, accusing authorities of excluding trade unions from privatisation talks.
Comrade Ayuba Barde of the National Union of Electricity Employees backed Mande, saying the union had warned against privatisation from the start. He accused investors of chasing profits without reinvesting in the system, leaving Nigerians to “pay through their nose” for poor service.