POST-PRIVATISATION PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES IN NIGERIA (2005-2018)

IDOWU, SAMUEL SUNDAY and Covenant University, Theses (2020) POST-PRIVATISATION PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES IN NIGERIA (2005-2018). ["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined] thesis, COVENANT UNIVERSITY.

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Abstract

This study investigated post-privatisation performance of power sector in Nigeria between 2005 and 2018. The distribution end of the sector’s value chain focused on Ibadan and Ikeja distribution companies (DISCOs) in this study. The electricity sector is strategic to Nigeria’s realization of socio-economic development aspiration. However, few years after the privatisation of DISCOs, concerns about the DISCOs’ performance and sanctity of the process they emerged from were expressed, especially by the legislative arm of government and some interest groups. Politicisation, non-transparency of government in handling of the sector’s privatisation exercise and ineffective discharge of duty by DISCOs are among the issues raised. Thus, the study examined the post-privatisation performance of the DISCOs. It also investigated the impact of political considerations on post-privatisation performance of DISCOS and proceeded further to find out whether Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, the regulatory institution, improves the post-privatisation performance of DISCOs as well. Public choice and elite theories were adopted as frameworks for the study.Cross-sectional survey design was used for the conduct of the research. To achieve the objectives of the study, 881copies of questionnaire were administered on some of the residential and commercial customers of Ibadan and Ikeja DISCOs and interviews conducted were used to obtain data from managers of NERC and DISCOs. In addition, secondary data were obtained from journals, books, official publications and internet. The quantitative data obtained were presented in tables and figures, and descriptively analyzed, while qualitative data were thematically presented. With an above average mean score of between 2.51-3.25 (moderate) for a four Likert-scale measurement - of respondents affirming or disagreeing with almost all the questions posed alongside corroborating striking statements from the interviewees, the findings show that privatisation did not improve the performance of electricity distribution by DISCOs; political considerations impacted adversely on post-privatisation of DISCOs performance; and, government regulatory agency add little value to the post-privatisation performance of DISCOs. The non-performance of DISCOs is as a result of inadequate funding and technical incompetence that are not thoroughly scrutinised because of the parochial interest of the policymakers during the privatisation process, which makes IBEDC and IKEDC appear as not the most qualified for the business amongst bidders.In addition, political interference in the regulatory agency’s discharge of duty in the post- privatisation regime relatively affected an effective regulatory environment. The study concludes that the bane of post-privatisation’s non-performance of the DISCOs was the politicisation of the privatisation process coupled with political interference in the post- privatisation regulatory management. The study recommends that DISCOs should access funding from the capital market, upgrade existing obsolete infrastructure and regulatory agency must be allowed to operate as autonomous entity, amongst others.

Item Type:	Thesis (["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined])
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Distribution companies, performance, power sector, privatisation, Nigeria.
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Mrs Hannah Akinwumi
Date Deposited:	25 May 2022 12:10
Last Modified:	25 May 2022 12:10
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/15892

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