The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Energy Global, Akinwole Omoboriowo II and Managing Director of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Idris Mohammad have been recorgnised for contributing immensely to ongoing developments in Africa’s power sector.
Along with other players in some of Africa’s recognized electricity market, these Nigerians out of the 54 Nations in Africa have been recognized in the 2015 roll call of the “ESI Most Influential Figures in African Power”.
The 19 year old Africa’s power journal, ESI-Africa which is published by South Africa based Spintelligent and is reputed as a trusted knowledge source for most policy makers and operators of Africa’s electricity utilities stated stated that these individuals amongst others have furthered the frontiers of, “continued efforts under what is considered to be the boldest privatization initiatives” in Africa’s Power sector, hence their recognition.
Other Nigerians that were also listed in the journal which include the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of North-South Power Company, owners of Shiroro hydroelectric generation plant, Daudu Abdul-Aziz, Managing Director of Aiteo Power, Ransome Owan, and Head, Procurement and Power Contract in the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET), Yesufu Alonge.
ESI-Africa noted that through their various efforts, in government-led initiatives, their multiple investments in various segments of the African Power sector, forward-thinking policies and regulations as well as innovative technologies which they deploy, these individuals have kept the electricity industry in North, South, East and West Africa running seamlessly.
Indicating that the individuals were selected from the pruning of nominations sent in by industry stakeholders, ESI-Africa added that it expects to see continued investments in clean sustainable electricity generation and distribution, as well as increase in independent power productions through the efforts of these individuals.
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Nebo as Minister of Power has taken up from where his predecessor, Prof. Barth Nnaji left off, pulling through with the settlement of protracted labour issues to hand over privatised power assets to their owners while Elumelu through Heirs Holdings has ensured a steady upgrade in the capacity of the Ughelli thermal power plant which it bought in the privatisation process.
As for Omoboriowo II, Genesis Energy’s reported ability to provide Fast-track electric power projects and a broad spectrum of multiple energy solutions in several countries in Africa through long-standing strategic partnerships with key players like General Electric-USA (GE) and Engro Corporation of Asia has endeared it to the industry and thus earned it the recognition continent-wide.
Genesis Energy is noted to have partnered with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, GE and Engro Corporation to deploy and commission a pioneering 84 megawatts (84 MW) gas-fired off-grid captive power project dedicated to meet the electricity needs of the Port Harcourt Refinery Complex, at tariff levels said to be the lowest for industrial customers in Nigeria.
Genesis Energy was also reported to have developed another long term strategic partnership with Cummins Co-Generation of the United Kingdom for the deployment of up to 1,000MW of distributed power projects to qualifying communities in Africa, particularly in Gabon, Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Benin Republic and Ghana, and thus upgraded the value of foreign direct investments it has singularly attracted into Africa to over $1 billion.
It will be recollected that Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Holding had pledged $2.5 billion worth of counterpart funding to the US government Power Africa Fund initiative, and Heirs Holding commitment to the power sector is noted to be Pan-Africa in nature, and similar in mission to that of Genesis Energy who is known to be present in several African countries over the past 10years.
(Guardian)
