Top infotech experts have confirmed participation at a breakout session of the WorldStage Economic Summit taking place at the Event Centre, Nigerian Exchange Limited, on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
The WorldStage Summit with the theme: ‘The Game Changers’ according to a statement Mr Segun Adeleye, the CEO of World Stage Limited, the organisers of the summit, the new Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Aminu Maida, as the Guest of Honour, will present a key note address; Mr. Tim Akano, CEO, New Horizons Nigeria, will present the theme paper: The Game Changers; while Mr. John Tani Obaro, Group Managing Director (GMD), SystemSpecs Holdings Nigeria, will speak on ‘Startups journey from conception to launch’.
The breakout session is beside the main theme of the summit, ‘National Dialogue on Electricity’ which will attract stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) including the Federal Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Electricity Generation Companies (GenCos), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN); Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos); Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET); Gas Aggregator Company of Nigeria; Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA), consumers among others.
The organisers said the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, a major stakeholder in the electricity business is expected to deliver the keynote address while chief executives of TCN, NBET among others have confirmed participation.
Stakeholders in the Nigerian economy have been taking stock of the recently signed Nigeria Electricity Act 2023 by President Bola Tinubu with the hope that it will address the multifarious challenges across the electric power sector.
The National Dialogue on Electricity is coming at a time when the NERC is actively engaging the 11 successor DisCos on their request for tariff review, as many consumers are alleging extortive practice of estimated/arbitrary billing while calling for an effective metering plan and fair deal.
Adeleye said the issues in the power sector are inexhaustible going by the frustration of the operators and the concerns of consumers including manufacturers that put their annual economic loss to epileptic power supply at about N10.1 trillion or two per cent share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He said while the electricity industry is characterized by huge supply-gap due to dilapidated power infrastructure and poor distributions networks, the new electricity act could be the game changer moreso when the federal government has affirmed to treat adequate energy as a topmost national economic priority.
The WorldStage Economic Summit is conceived to address economic challenges through diagnoses and application of practicable solutions with public and private sector engagement in a research and innovation driven platform to inspire new thinking in business initiative, policy formulation/implementation, economic reform and development.