The newly appointed special board of Kaduna Electric assumed office on Wednesday, signalling a renewed effort to address the company’s operational challenges, improve performance and restore it to a sustainable growth trajectory.
The board, chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Garba, met with the management and staff of Kaduna Electric at the company’s headquarters in Kaduna as part of its first official engagements.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigeria’s electricity regulator, recently dissolved the previous board over the company’s cumulative market obligations of 456.5 billion naira ($335.2 million).
Speaking during the staff engagement, Garba described the intervention as an opportunity for a new beginning and said the board was determined to work with management and employees to improve the company’s performance and restore stakeholder confidence.
“This is a new beginning for Kaduna Electric, and we must all take ownership of the transformation process. The Board is committed to providing the leadership and support required to reposition the Company, but we cannot achieve this alone. I therefore call on every member of staff to bring their experience, commitment and professionalism to the task ahead. Together, we can build a Kaduna Electric that we will all be proud of,” Garba said.
Dafe C. Akpeneye, commissioner for legal, licensing and compliance at NERC, said the intervention would receive the necessary support from the federal government, with measures being considered to address some of the company’s immediate and critical needs.
The newly constituted board comprises Garba as chairman, Francis U. Agoha, Aliyu E. Aliyu, Major General Henry E. Ayamasaeoewi (rtd), Haliru Dikko, Ayodeji A. Gbeleyi, representing the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), and Umar Abubakar Hashidu, who will serve as administrator and special director.
The board has been constituted for an initial six-month term.
Management and staff welcomed the new board and expressed their readiness to work with it to achieve the objectives of the intervention, improve operational performance and strengthen service delivery to customers across the company’s franchise area.
Kaduna Electric said it remained committed to working with the board, NERC, the federal government, employees, customers and other stakeholders to deliver a sustainable turnaround and build a stronger, more efficient and customer-focused company.
($1 = 1,362 naira)
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