Breaking: CIPEN Raises Alarm Over Appointment of Non-Electrical Engineer as Acting NEMA MD, CEIF
By Raphael Ekpang
The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN) has expressed serious concern over the appointment of Mr. Peter Utsu Ashibel, a non-electrical engineer, as Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF), describing the development as a clear violation of the Electricity Act, 2023.
In a statement issued in Abuja, CIPEN noted that the Electricity Act, 2023, particularly Section 177 (1–8), expressly stipulates that the Chief Executive Officer of NEMSA, who also serves as the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, must be a qualified electrical engineer of proven competence in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
According to the Institute, the statutory functions of NEMSA include the certification of electrical installations, electricity meters, testing equipment, and the enforcement of technical and safety standards across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. These functions, CIPEN stressed, are technical in nature and cannot lawfully be discharged by a non-electrical engineering professional.
“The Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation is a statutory technical officer whose responsibilities go far beyond administrative oversight. The CEIF is the approving authority for technical inspection reports, safety certifications, licensing of power engineering firms, and is the Chief Safety Officer for Nigeria’s power infrastructure,” the statement said.
CIPEN emphasized that the signature of the CEIF represents professional electrical engineering judgment backed by law, and that such authority cannot be exercised by a person who is not a COREN-registered electrical engineer, as required by the Electricity Act.
The Institute further likened the office of the CEIF to other constitutionally recognized professional offices such as the Attorney-General of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, and Auditor-General of the Federation, noting that none of these offices can be occupied, even in an acting capacity, by individuals who lack the requisite professional qualifications.
Describing the current appointment as an aberration and a breach of the law, CIPEN warned that allowing a non-qualified person to occupy the office of the MD/CEO of NEMSA and CEIF exposes the power sector to legal risks, safety concerns, and institutional credibility challenges.
CIPEN therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to urgently review and correct the appointment in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2023, by ensuring that the leadership of NEMSA is vested in a properly qualified electrical engineer.
Core Reporters report that the Institute however, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s power sector reforms and stressed that strict adherence to statutory and professional standards remains critical to the safety, sustainability, and growth of Nigeria’s electricity industry.
