Electrical safety, enhanced service delivery on front burner as NEMSA gets new leadership

The recent leadership change at the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Power, is one designed to usher in an era of electrical safety, enhance service delivery, quality assurance and regulatory compliance across the power sector value chain.

This is the consensus of key power sector operators who reacted to the recent change of leadership at the Agency.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on 10th February, 2026 appointed a seasoned technocrat, Adesayo Olusegun Michael, as the Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF). He replaced Engr. Aliyu Tukur Tahir.

A member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the new NEMSA Chief Executive comes with distinguished career record spanning several years of technical experience and expertise in Metering Systems with observers describing his appointment as fit and proper for the agency and the industry.

He was a pioneer Staff of the Electricity Management Services (EMS) in the Pre-Privatization era of the power sector that transformed into NEMSA. He was also the Head of NEMSA Oshodi Lagos Meter Test Station (MTS Oshodi).

Until, his appointment, Michael was a Management Staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company. (IEDC), among other key leadership positions he had occupied in the country.

Other Board members of NEMSA appointed by the President include: Aliyu Abdulazeez (Executive Director, Technical); Ikechi Clara Nwosu (Chairman, South East); Zubair Abdur’rauf Idris (Member); Mrs. Igba Elizabeth (Member-North Central); Sani Alhaji Shehu (Member–North East); Adeyemi Adetunji (Member–South West); Emmanuel Eneji Nkpe (Member–South South) and Charles Ogbonna Asogwa (South East).

The new appointees complement the duo of Utsu P. Ashibel, the current executive director, (Corporate Services) and Hajia Meimunat Audu, the Executive Director (Commercial Services), NEMSA who are already working in the Agency.

Reacting to Michael’s appointment, Kunle Olubiyo, National President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, said the new MD/CEO of NEMSA is a fit and proper person for the job. “He is fit for the purpose,” Olubiyo said. He expressed confidence in the new NEMSA helmsman citing Engr. Michael’s rich industry experience and valuable contributions to the power sector in Nigeria as valid credentials.

In the same vein, Alhaji Abubakar Olajide, a former senior management staff of the defunct, PHCN, thanked President Tinubu for appointing Engr. Michael as NEMSA MD/CEO stating that he was highly qualified for the job. “I am highly delighted on his well-deserved appointment as MD/CEO of NEMSA and have no doubt that under his leadership the agency will be very pro-active in the discharge of its responsibilities not only to the industry but to the nation as a whole.

He urged the new NEMSA leadership to ensure the elimination of fake and substandard electrical materials in the country “May Almighty Allah grant him wisdom and sound health to pilot the affairs of the commission beyond imagination”, Abubakar added.

Another stakeholder and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC,) Dr. (Mrs.) Joy Ogaji commended NEMSA for its critical regulatory role within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), particularly in the enforcement of technical standards, inspection of electrical installations, and certification of electricity meters and instruments. She noted that these functions remain fundamental to ensuring the safety, reliability, and sustainability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

She however charged the new leadership on the need to increase public awareness of NEMSA’s activities, especially in meter testing, certification, and compliance monitoring, stressing that greater visibility of the Agency’s work would encourage compliance with established standards and ultimately promote the efficient use of electricity across the country.

She further suggested the establishment of regular collaborative engagements between NEMSA and other stakeholders such as APGC as a platform for knowledge sharing, improved coordination, and sustained progress within the power generation sector.

Shortly after assumption of office in February this year, the new NEMSA leadership led by Adesayo Michael swung into action by embarking on reform programmes aimed at repositioning the agency to effectively discharge its mandate. These include, Staff capacity development, enhanced collaboration and partnership with sister agencies and international partners, as well as redirection of the agency towards the attainment of its Mandate.

Furthermore, the new NEMSA Chief Executive has reaffirmed the commitment of the agency under his able leadership to promoting electrical safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

He also reiterated the Agency’s readiness to work closely with all the stakeholders within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry to ensure strict compliance with electrical standards, improved operational safety, and enhanced service delivery across the power value chain.

According to him, sustained collaboration among power sector players remains vital in advancing the shared goal of strengthening Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure while safeguarding lives and property through effective inspection, testing, and certification of electrical installations and equipment.

He spoke separately when he received in his office, delegation of the GIZ/European Union and those of the Association of Power Generation Companies of Nigeria (APCON) who recently paid him courtesy visits.
According to the NEMSA CEO, “strategic partnerships among key institutions within the power sector is crucial in driving reforms, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring a safe and sustainable electricity supply for Nigerians.”

It will be recalled that what is today known as the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) started in 2013 as the Electricity Management Services Limited (EMSL), one of the successor companies established by the Federal Government in line with the provisions of part 1 Section 8 of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) 2005, the Supplementary Regulations.

In 2015, the Agency was established by the NEMSA Act 2015 (now the Electricity Act 2023) to carry out the functions of Enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations, Technical Inspection, Testing and Certification of All Categories of Electrical Installations, Electricity Meters and Instruments to ensure the Efficient Production and Delivery of Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Electricity Power Supply and Guarantee safety of Lives and Property in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry; and for Related Matters.

The establishment was in response to several decades of substandard electrical equipment/materials being used in the NESI, combined with vandalism, substandard construction practices, and poor maintenance of power installations across the value chain of generation, transmission and distribution, including utilization, have plagued the development of the power sector in Nigeria.

This was largely due to lack of effective enforcement of technical standards, testing and certification of electrical installations in the NESI, this necessitated the Federal Government establishing an independent, professional and technical agency NEMSA to deal with these technical lapses in the industry.

Critical Elements of NEMSA’s Mandate include:

1. Ensuring that: –

One. electrical materials/equipment/instruments used in NESI, workplaces and other premises are of the right type, quality, standard and specifications;

ii. the power systems and networks put in place have been properly planned, designed and executed before use to ensure that such systems and networks are capable of delivering safe, reliable and regular electricity supply to the consumers nationwide;

iii. electrical installations in homes, offices, commercial and industrial premises have been properly installed and/or executed to ensure reliability and safety of use, lives and property.

iv. safety of lives and property within the grid and off-grid networks is assured;

v. electricity energy meters and instruments used in Nigeria are of the right type, quality, class and accuracy for proper accountability of energy produced, delivered, supplied / utilized by the consumers.

2. Certification of all Electrical Installations Contractors, Practitioners and all other technical personnel engaged in the practice of electrical installations works along the Power value chain and utilisation and other premises.

3. Take over the functions of statutory electrical inspection, testing and certification of all electrical installation hitherto carried out by the Director of Electrical Inspectorate Services and the Electrical Inspectorate Services Division of the Federal Ministry of Power.

By this Act, NEMSA becomes the sole agency authorised by Law to carry out the enforcement of Technical Standard & Regulation, Inspection, Testing and Certification of all Electrical Installations in Nigeria.