Daniel Adaji
The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN) has condemned the appointment of a non-electrical engineer as the Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF), describing it as a clear violation of the Electricity Act, 2023.
In a formal petition signed on January 9, 2026 addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Institute warned that the appointment of Mr. Peter Utsu Ashibel, Director of Corporate Services, as Acting MD/CEO and CEIF contravenes the law and undermines professional and safety standards in Nigeria’s power sector.
According to CIPEN, “The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) and the Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF) must comply with the provisions and requirements of Section 77(1) of the Electricity Act, 2023, with specific reference to subsections (1)–(8) of the same section.”
The Institute said it became aware of the appointment “through various media reports,” noting with concern that “the appointment of a non-electrical engineer as the Acting Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF)” followed the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past CEIF.
CIPEN stressed that the Electricity Act is explicit on who can occupy the position. Citing the law, the petition stated that “The Chief Executive Officer shall be an electrical engineer of proven competence in the NESI,” adding that the CEO of NEMSA “shall also be the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, with powers to enforce technical standards and regulations.”
Highlighting the sensitivity of the office, CIPEN described the CEIF as a key statutory authority in the power industry. “The signature of the CEIF is not merely administrative but represents a professional authority vested by law and technical competence,” the Institute said.
It further argued that the current arrangement poses legal and professional risks, stating unequivocally that “The aforementioned certificates, licences, and reports cannot be signed by a non-electrical engineering professional.” According to CIPEN, “A practicing electrical engineer with requisite technical competence must occupy the office of the CEIF.”
The Institute described the appointment as unlawful, declaring that “The present situation, where a non-electrical engineering professional is appointed as Acting MD/CEO and CEIF, constitutes an aberration and infraction, as such an officer is not a COREN-registered electrical engineer, as demanded by the Electricity Act, 2023.”
CIPEN also warned that such an appointee lacks the legal authority to perform core statutory duties. “Such an officer is therefore not legally eligible to interpret, approve, or sign technical documents, professional certificates, licences, or reports, nor speak as a professional electrical engineer, a role which the law expressly reserves for the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation,” the petition read.
Drawing parallels with other key public offices, the Institute said the CEIF position is comparable to the Offices of the Attorney-General, Accountant-General and Auditor-General of the Federation, stressing that “none of the offices listed above can be administered by a non-professional in the relevant field, whether in an acting or substantive capacity.”
CIPEN therefore urged President Tinubu to intervene and correct what it called an anomaly. “With due respect, Your Excellency, we respectfully request that this anomaly be addressed in strict compliance with the Electricity Act, 2023,” the Institute said, adding that compliance would “ensure continuity, stability, and effective enforcement of technical standards and regulations within NEMSA.”
The Institute concluded by appealing to the President to ensure that NEMSA’s leadership “aligns with statutory requirements, complies with the Act, meets industry needs, and ultimately supports the sustainability of Nigeria’s power supply industry.”
