By Adewale Sanyaolu
To reward their contributions to the power sector, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor of Central of Nigeria Nigeria(CBN), Godwin Emefiele, have been announced as recipients Nigeria Power Sector Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Others in the Lifetime Achievement Award category are; Former Minister of Power and founder Geometric Power Limited/Aba Power IPP, Prof Barth Nnaji, Executive Director, Sahara Energy Group, Mr. Kola Adesina.
The Nigeria Power Sector Awards, a premier and most prestigious premier event instituted to celebrate organizations and individuals, who have contributed to improvements, growth, innovation, and progress in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recently announced nominees for 2022.
This was even as the organizers said it has concluded plans to present individual awards, targeted at recognizing and celebrating a few individuals for their immense contributions and achievements, including a Posthumous Award to the late Engr. Joseph Oyeyani Makoju, former Chief Executive Officer, of the defunct National Electric Power Authority, NEPA, and Special Adviser on Power to three presidents.
The Leadership and Excellence Award in the Power Sector will also be presented to Engr. Ahmad Zakari, the Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, and Trailblazer Award in the Power Sector will be presented to the Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu.
Also, the nominees for Thermal Power Generation Company of the Year, included, NAOC Okpai IPP, Azura Power West Africa, and Transcorp Power (Ughelli Power Station) while the Hydroelectric Power Generation Company of the Year, has North South Power Company Limited (Kainji), Mainstream Energy Limited (Jebba), North-South Power Limited (Shiroro) and MABON Dadin-Kowa Hydro Dam as nominees.
Nominees under the Electricity Distribution Company of the Year category are; Ikeja Electric, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company while nominees under the Most Gender Diverse Utility Company category are; Kaduna Electric, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
The Most Innovative FINTECH Company category nominees are; PayAfrik World Connect Limited, BuyPower, Flutterwave, Crown Interactive Limited, and ITEX Integrated Services Limited while nominees under the Metering Company of the Year category are; MOJEC International Limited, Protogy Global Services Ltd, Switch Electric Limited, Sabrud Consortium Nigeria Limited and Conlog Meter Solutions Nigeria.
The Transaction of the year (Renewable Energy/ Off-grid) category nominees are; GVE Projects Ltd – Wuse Market Project, Crossboundary / Engie, Nayo Tropical Technology Ltd/ARM-Harith, Rural Electrification Agency/Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) and Olaniwun Ajayi / Chapel Hill NIDF while nominees for the Transaction of the year (Generation) category are; Olaniwun Ajayi LP/Transcorp Plc – 726MW Afam GenCo Acquisition, Geregu Power Plc Share Listing on the NGX and Geometric Aba Power IPP Financing.
The Transaction/Project of the year (Transmission) category has Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd – Lafia Transmission Sub-station Project, Olaniwun Ajayi LP / FGN Power Company Ltd – Implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative Phase 1, Transmission Company of Nigeria – Abuja Ring Project and Eko DisCo / NESI-SS Ltd – transmission interface upgrade project as nominees while the Transaction of the year (Distribution) category, has Olaniwun Ajayi LP / KONEXA ECOF, Geometric Aba Power Distribution Ltd and Ikeja Electric – Premium Power Project as nominees.
The Mini-Grid Project Developer of the Year category has Nayo Tropical Technology, GVE Projects Ltd, ENGIE Energy Access, Havenhill Synergy, and Wedotebary Nigeria Limited while C & I Developer of the Year category has Daystar Power Energy Solutions, CrossBoundary Energy, Auxano Solar and Rensource Energy as nominees while the Public Sector Organization of the Year category has Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Transmission Company of Nigeria, Bureau of Public Enterprises and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency as nominees.
The Development Finance Institution of the Year category has the Bank of Industry, InfraCredit, Development Bank of Nigeria, and Africa Finance Corporation as nominees while the Best State Government in the Power Sector category has the Oyo State Government, Kaduna State Government, Lagos State Government, Akwa Ibom State Government, and Edo State Government as nominees.
Also, the Gas Supply Company of the Year category has Axxela Limited, Seplat Plc, Shell Nigeria Gas, Accugas/Savannah Energy, and Nigerian Gas Marketing Company as nominees while the Independent Power Producer (Captive) category has the Axxela Limited, Genesis Energy Limited, Viathan Engineering Ltd and Ossiomo IPP Edo State as nominees.
The Bank/Financial Institution of the Year category has Sterling Bank, First Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Providus Bank, and United Bank for Africa as nominees while the Most Impactful International Development Agency category has USAID/Power Africa, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), UK Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNAIF) and SEforAll as nominees.
The organisers disclosed that the inaugural edition of the Nigeria Power Sector Awards and Cocktail event will hold on November 23, 2022, at the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) at 4.30pm.
They maintained that despite the various challenges, the power sector has achieved some level of growth and improvements across the entire value chain worth celebration in order to motivate the award winners and others to do more.
“The Awards is a two-part event and will commence with the presentation of a keynote address by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State.
The keynote address will focus on the topic “The Future of the Nigerian Power Sector: Delivering a Reliable and Stable Power Sector for All Nigerians”.
The keynote address will dwell on the evolution of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) from the electric power reforms, privatization of the power sector, and the post-privatization reforms needed for the development of a NESI that is able to deliver reliable and stable electricity to all Nigerians, using Kaduna State as an example.
“The keynote address will be followed by a fireside discussion with eminent panelists to share their thoughts on the keynote topic. The fireside discussion will be anchored by Mr. Wole Famurewa, of CNBC West Africa.
Eminent panelists at the fireside discussion will include Mr. Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Prof. Barth Nnaji, former Minister of Power and Founder, Geometric Power Limited / Aba Power IPP and Dr. Uwa Igiehon, former Managing Director, Royal Bank of Canada and Founder, Ossiomo IPP, Edo State.
“The fireside conversation will build on the keynote address from a private sector / Investor’s perspective.
Panelists will provide their thoughts on the way forward for the development of a NESI that is able to deliver reliable and stable electricity to all Nigerians, using their respective business models such as the Aba Power project, Sahara Power Group’s utility operations, and Ossiomo IPP project in Edo State.”
The organizers added that “The Award is sponsored by New Hampshire Capital Ltd, an energy investment and advisory firm with a focus on the power sector. The event is supported by MOJEC International Limited.
As the premier and most prestigious industry awards event in the power sector, the Awards ceremony will bring together key stakeholders in the power sector, high-ranking members of the National Assembly, State Governors, chief executives of banks, financial institutions, development finance institutions, and private equity infrastructure funds, and investors in power generation companies and electricity distribution companies, amongst other high-level dignitaries and international guests expected to attend the inaugural awards and cocktail event.”
The event will be attended by many stakeholders, including ministers, CEOs, and industry leaders in Nigeria and