The Nigeria Labour Congress has proposed merging the Federal Ministries of Petroleum and Power into a single Ministry of Energy as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis.
The union also rejected the Federal Government’s proposed N6 trillion bailout for electricity generation and distribution companies, arguing that public funds should not be used to support failed private businesses.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the position known in a statement at the weekend, amid continued challenges in the nation’s power sector.
According to him, the planned bailout for GenCos and DisCos would only treat the symptoms of the crisis rather than solve its root causes.
Ajaero said the privatisation of the power sector has not delivered the expected results, insisting that a different structural approach is needed.
He said, “Therefore, we are proposing a radical structural intervention: the immediate merger of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and the Federal Ministry of Power to create a single, unified Ministry of Energy.
“By merging the ministries, we take the first step toward de-commodifying energy.
“We move towards a system where the State, through a coordinated Ministry of Energy, can mobilise public finance for investment in generation, transmission, and distribution, just as it is done in nations that have lifted their citizens out of poverty.”
The NLC maintained that the country needs a coordinated energy framework that will allow government to take stronger responsibility for power generation, transmission and distribution, rather than continuing to channel public resources into private operators without lasting results.
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