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Labour Unions in Kano Call for Reversal of Power and Water Sector Privatisation

KANO — Two major affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have urged the federal government to reverse the privatisation of Nigeria’s electricity and water sectors, arguing that the move has led to poor service delivery and higher costs for citizens.

Speaking at a joint press briefing in Kano on Thursday, leaders of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) said Nigerians were better served when both sectors were publicly owned and operated.

Ayuba Barde, NUEE’s North West Zonal Organising Secretary, said the unions had opposed the privatisation policy from the start, warning it would create more problems than it solved.

“From inception, we told Nigerians this policy would not serve the people. We work in the sector and know its strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, many dismissed our warnings. Now, the results are clear — poor supply, grid collapses, blackouts, and outrageous billing for services not delivered,” Barde stated.

He alleged that the process handed over critical national assets to political allies rather than genuine investors with the capacity to improve infrastructure.

Barde added:

“The investors are driven purely by profit maximisation, not by reinvesting in the sector. From metering to billing, everything is tilted towards making money rather than serving the public interest.”

On his part, AUPCTRE’s Acting General Secretary, Lawrence Ilesanmi, criticised the government for “running away from its responsibility” to provide essential social services.

“Power is a basic social service that should be subsidised by the government. The private sector is profit-oriented and will not deliver quality service. This approach has ripple effects — in the water sector, privatisation has pushed communities towards uncontrolled borehole drilling, which is degrading the environment and depleting the water table,” he warned.

The unions reiterated that reversing the privatisation would not only restore public confidence but also ensure affordable and reliable access to power and water, which they described as fundamental rights of citizens.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna