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By Daniel Adaji
President Bola Tinubu has reversed course following public and professional backlash over the leadership of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).
The president has appointed an electrical engineer, Engr. Adesayo Michael, as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF).
The appointment, announced in a State House press release on Tuesday, comes weeks after the Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN) faulted the earlier appointment of a non-electrical engineer to act in the same capacity, describing it as a violation of the Electricity Act, 2023.
With the new decision, the President effectively addressed concerns raised by power sector professionals over legality, safety standards and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s electricity industry.
Michael, an electrical engineer, brings decades of technical experience to the position. He was a pioneer staff member of the former Electricity Management Services (EMS) in the pre-privatisation era, which later transformed into NEMSA. He also served as Head of the NEMSA Oshodi Meter Test Station (MTS Oshodi) and was, until recently, part of the management team of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.
According to the presidency, he “comes with several years of technical experience and expertise in metering systems” and “is fit for purpose.”
The appointment follows a strong petition by CIPEN, dated January 9, 2026, and addressed to President Tinubu, in which the Institute condemned the earlier appointment of Mr. Peter Utsu Ashibel, Director of Corporate Services, as Acting MD/CEO of NEMSA and Acting CEIF.
In the petition, CIPEN warned that the move contravened the Electricity Act, 2023, and undermined professional and safety standards in the power sector.
The Institute stated that “The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF) must comply with the provisions and requirements of Section 77(1) of the Electricity Act, 2023, with specific reference to subsections (1)–(8) of the same section.”
CIPEN said it became aware of the appointment “through various media reports,” adding that “the appointment of a non-electrical engineer as the Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF)” followed the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past CEIF.
Citing the law, the Institute stressed that “The Chief Executive Officer shall be an electrical engineer of proven competence in the NESI,” adding that the CEO of NEMSA “shall also be the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, with powers to enforce technical standards and regulations.”
It further described the CEIF as a sensitive statutory office, noting that “The signature of the CEIF is not merely administrative but represents a professional authority vested by law and technical competence.”
According to CIPEN, the situation at the time posed serious legal and professional risks.
“The aforementioned certificates, licences, and reports cannot be signed by a non-electrical engineering professional,” the petition stated, adding that “A practicing electrical engineer with requisite technical competence must occupy the office of the CEIF.”
The Institute declared the earlier appointment unlawful, saying, “The present situation, where a non-electrical engineering professional is appointed as Acting MD/CEO and CEIF, constitutes an aberration and infraction, as such an officer is not a COREN-registered electrical engineer, as demanded by the Electricity Act, 2023.”
It also warned that such an appointee lacked the authority to perform core statutory duties. “Such an officer is therefore not legally eligible to interpret, approve, or sign technical documents, professional certificates, licences, or reports, nor speak as a professional electrical engineer, a role which the law expressly reserves for the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation,” CIPEN said.
Drawing parallels with other constitutional offices, the Institute argued that the CEIF role is comparable to the Offices of the Attorney-General, Accountant-General and Auditor-General of the Federation, stressing that “none of the offices listed above can be administered by a non-professional in the relevant field, whether in an acting or substantive capacity.”
CIPEN had urged the President to intervene “in strict compliance with the Electricity Act, 2023,” saying this would “ensure continuity, stability, and effective enforcement of technical standards and regulations within NEMSA,” and align the agency’s leadership with statutory requirements and industry needs.
Beyond the NEMSA appointment, President Tinubu also approved the appointment of board members for the agency. They include Engr. Aliyu Abdulazeez as Executive Director, Technical; Ikechi Clara Nwosu as Chairman (South East); Zubair Abdur’rauf Idris; Igba Elizabeth (North Central); Sani Alhaji Shehu (North East); Adeyemi Adetunji (South West); Engr. Emmanuel Eneji Nkpe (South South); and Engr. Charles Ogbonna Asogwa (South East).
In a related decision, the President appointed Magaji Da’u Aliyu as Managing Director of the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Abuja. SHESTCO is responsible for research and development in technology and for operating a nuclear research facility.
President Tinubu also nominated Amina Gamawa, representing Bauchi State, and Abdullahi Muktar, representing Kaduna State, as commissioners to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). Their names have been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.