NERC seeks greater working relationship with Quantity Surveyors

The Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr Sam Amadi has called for more effective collaboration between the Commission and Quantity Surveyors, saying that they have so much to benefit from eachother.
Amadi made the call at the 6th annual distinguished lecture recently organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS.
He said Quantity surveying professionals have very critical roles to play in every facet of the power businesses in Nigeria by converting the sectoral aftermaths to opportunities.
Amadi who delivered the keynote speech titled “Power sector reforms and the aftermaths – Appraising the impact on the economy,” explained that with the right momentum and added zeal from all stakeholders, particularly the new owners/potential investors, oil and gas producers, policy regulators, customers and professional bodies like the NIQS as well as civil society groups, “the challenges of growth of the sectors shall be transformed to viable opportunities”.
Dr Amadi who was represented by the Director of Engineering and Safety Regulations in the Commission, Mr. Abdullahi Mohammed further explained that this measure would “steadily and speedily improve the supply of reliable electricity to Nigerians and shall provide the platform for attracting private capital for the much desired quantum leap for Nigeria to move into the league of advanced economies”.
He enjoined private sector investors to focus more attention on other generation options including clean coal, large and small hydro, solar, wind, waste to power, biomass and tidal energy among others. The NERC boss disclosed that special government incentives have been put in place to attract investors to these renewable energy sources.
Amadi who reeled out the plethora of challenges facing electricity generation, distribution and transmission in the country, was however elated because “Nigeria is finally getting it right, albeit the hard way after long years of neglect, underfunding, mismanagement, technical inefficiencies and non-aligned policy and regulatory structures in the Nigeria electricity supply industry.”
In his remarks, the President of NIQS, Mallam Murtala Aliyu noted that quantity surveyors have numerous business opportunities in the ongoing power reforms in the country. Aliyu who is a former Minister of State for Power and Steel, was optimistic that the reforms will improve the energy situation in the country. He charged quantity surveyors to collaborate with engineers and other professionals with a view to investing in the highly capital intensive power sector.
Also speaking at the lecture, the immediate past president of the NIQS, Mr Ajele John Alufohai posited that quantity surveyors have a traditional role as cost experts to play in the power sector. But beyond this traditional role, Alufohai noted that team work would be required for quantity surveyors to have a stake in the power sector. He therefore called for the formation of partnerships and joint ventures, using the securitization model of investment.
He challenged the Lagos chapter of the NIQS to champion this model (which involves pooling resources together) not only in the power sector but other key sectors of the economy. Alufohai decried the indiscipline in the way and manner Nigerians use electricity and called on the quantity surveyors to sharpen their skills and advise their clients on how to reduce their energy costs.