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By Godswill Michael
The President of the Nigeria Consumers Protection Network, Kunle Olubiyo, has criticised what he described as entrenched secrecy and poor data transparency in Nigeria’s power sector, warning that the trend is enabling inefficiency and deepening the ongoing electricity crisis.
Speaking in a conversation with our correspondent on Saturday, Olubiyo said critical market data, particularly electricity invoices, should be made readily available in real time, rather than being treated as confidential information.
“Data on electricity market invoices should be made readily available promptly and swiftly. These are ordinarily real-time public documents that should be accessed openly and seamlessly,” he said.
He lamented that data centralisation and transparency were largely absent in the sector, alleging that vital information was being handled like secret society material, thereby undermining accountability and efficiency.
According to him, the Nigerian electricity sector must move away from what he termed a “secret society approach” and ensure that grid operations data, including broadcasts from the National Control Centre and the Nigerian Independent System Operator, are openly accessible to relevant stakeholders.
Olubiyo pointed to significant technological gaps, noting that the sector lacks critical infrastructure for data generation, collection, and aggregation. He stressed that the continued neglect of modern technologies such as smart grid metering, telemetry systems, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) was worsening operational inefficiencies.
He added that the prevalence of obsolete and poorly installed meters at grid interface points, as well as faulty or defaulting systems, creates room for manipulation and systemic inefficiencies within the electricity market.
“As long as we continue to operate with outdated infrastructure and ignore modern metering and monitoring systems, the sector will keep experiencing gaming of the system and short-changing of consumers, the government, and other stakeholders,” he said.
Olubiyo warned that these structural deficiencies were fostering what he described as “systemic conspiracy tendencies” within the market, ultimately eroding trust and weakening service delivery.
Using a metaphor to describe the sector’s condition, he likened it to “a highly priced but rotten dry fish,” suggesting that despite heavy investments, the system remains fundamentally compromised and requires specialised interventions to restore functionality.
The consumer advocate’s remarks come amid growing tensions in the electricity market, particularly disagreements between the Federal Government and power generation companies over the reconciliation of sector debts.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had recently stated that the government’s liabilities to GenCos could be significantly lower than widely reported, noting that ongoing reconciliation efforts may reduce the figure to about N4tn from the often-cited N6.3tn.
He explained that earlier estimates of N4tn were audited down to N2.8tn due to interest and foreign exchange components, adding that discussions were still ongoing with some generation companies. Adelabu also disclosed that about 60 per cent of the debt relates to gas supply obligations.
However, GenCos have rejected the government’s position, insisting that any reconciliation must involve all stakeholders. The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, said the last joint reconciliation meeting was held in March 2025, questioning the basis for the government’s revised figures.
She emphasised that accurate debt figures could only emerge through a comprehensive and transparent verification process, noting that multiple cost components, including unpaid invoices, capacity payments, foreign exchange differentials, and ancillary service costs, must be properly accounted for.