Management of electricity generation and supply in Africa: The Nigerian experience

Abstract

Incessant power failures have caused irregular production and low utilization of resources in industries and
educational institutions while the Nigerian government has also been embarrassed on several occasions when
Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) switched off power during government official functions. The PHCN has
thus become an object of ridicule and opprobrium for over two decades. The paper therefore sets out to examine
and analyse relationships among characteristics of organisational environment and motivation for effective
performance of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria Limited, a public enterprise established, financed and
managed by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The paper utilized both primary and secondary sources of data and
data collected were descriptively analysed with a view to seeking answers to the broad question of what factors
within the perceived organisational environment of the PHCN are related in a positive or negative manner to its
effective performance. The findings revealed that PHCN has to contend with internal and external environmental
hostilities and constraints such as poor funding of the enterprise, corruption, excessive control by the Federal
Government, vandalisation of its equipment by hoodlums, fraud, shady dealings, poor maintenance, erosion, debts
owed it and irregular rainfall. The paper concluded that electricity is the bedrock of socio-economic development of
any nation hence priority must be set for its adequate budgetary funding in Nigeria, in particular and in African
countries in general.