The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing Nigeria’s power sector reforms and spending between 2006 and 2024 has set up a seven-member sub-committee to conduct a forensic audit of gas supplied to electricity generation companies nationwide.
The panel, chaired by Afam Ogene, also includes Kafilat Ogbara, Salisu Magaji, Faud Laguda and Harrison Nwadike.
The move followed concerns raised over the continued supply of gas to the Sapele Power Plant in Delta State, despite the facility remaining inactive for more than a year.
The decision was taken after a motion sponsored by Nwadike, who disclosed that the anomaly was uncovered during the committee’s recent oversight visit to the Sapele plant.
He noted that although gas had been supplied to the facility, no electricity had been generated.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday, Nwadike described the situation as troubling, stressing that public resources may have been wasted through the alleged diversion or mismanagement of gas meant for power generation.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Al-Mustapha Aliyu, said Nigerians had expressed growing concerns that gas suppliers, particularly Seplat Energy, were failing to provide adequate volumes to generation companies, thereby worsening electricity shortages across the country.
However, Seplat Energy’s Managing Director, Ibiada Itoto, rejected the allegations, insisting that the company remains committed to supporting the Federal Government’s power sector reform efforts.
She said Seplat’s focus has always been on strengthening Nigeria’s electricity value chain and ensuring sustainable power generation.
Also speaking, Seplat’s General Manager for Gas, Olubukola Fasoyin, revealed that the Sapele Power Plant currently owes the company about ₦20 billion for gas already delivered.
Unconvinced by the explanations, Nwadike pushed for a forensic investigation, alleging that Seplat could be complicit in an economic offence if gas supplied over the past year was diverted by a non-performing power plant.
Reacting, Aliyu expressed disappointment that a company of Seplat’s stature allegedly lacked internal mechanisms to track how gas supplied to power stations was utilised.
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The Ad-hoc Committee was inaugurated to examine persistent challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, including unstable power supply, weak generation capacity and the massive public funds injected into reforms with little improvement.
Between 2006 and 2024, the Federal Government carried out several reform initiatives, including the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, the creation of generation and distribution companies, and multiple financial bailouts running into trillions of naira.
Despite these efforts, electricity supply has remained erratic, largely due to gas shortages, infrastructure gaps and mounting debts within the power value chain.
The committee’s wider mandate covers expenditure reviews, contractual agreements, regulatory compliance and operational oversight, aimed at identifying leakages and recommending measures to restore accountability in the sector.
The newly formed sub-committee is expected to concentrate on the supply, utilisation and monitoring of gas provided to power generation companies and submit its findings to the main committee for further legislative action.