Stakeholders in the nation’s economy have expressed mixed reactions over the recent proposal by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to merge the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and the Federal Ministry of Power to create a single, unified Ministry of Energy.

Daily Trust reports that while some see such a proposal as a needless venture which would not ameliorate the energy crisis in Nigeria, others view it as a salutary and well-thought proposal.

Justifying the merger in a recent statement, the NLC said for too long, these two critical ministries have operated in silos, serving the interests of separate fractions of the bourgeoisie while the productive base of our economy collapses.

It maintained that the nation’s thermal power generation, which accounts for the bulk of our grid capacity, is held hostage by gas supply gaps, noting that the gas is controlled by the Petroleum sector, saying it “operates like a rent-seeking enclave with no accountability to the people’s need for electricity.”

It argued that the creation of a unified Ministry of Energy to break these “compartmentalised fiefdoms” is not a mere administrative tinkering, but a political demand to assert national sovereignty over Nigeria’s energy resources.

It said, “Under a single ministry, there would be one minister accountable to the Nigerian people, not a collection of officials playing the blame game. When the power plants are down due to a lack of gas, the same ministry responsible for petroleum extraction would be directly implicated.”

It argued that the move will end the era where the Power Minister blames the Petroleum Minister, and the Petroleum Minister blames “market forces” and “global volatility.”

It added: “This merger is a pathway to rationalise the sector based on public interest, not private profit. It will facilitate a holistic view of our energy assets, ensuring that gas, a national heritage, is first and foremost used to generate domestic power to industrialise the nation and create jobs, rather than being flared or exported while Nigerians suffer in darkness. This will, we are sure, enhance national Energy planning, which is key to national development.”

Reacting, Kunle Stevenson, public relations expert and energy analyst told Daily Trust that the NLC’s proposal to merge the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Power into a single Ministry of Energy is a pragmatic and overdue idea that cuts through decades of institutional fragmentation.

Over 70–80% of Nigeria’s electricity is gas-fired, yet gas policy sits in one ministry while power infrastructure and distribution sit in another, he said, adding that the split creates constant friction — on pricing, supply prioritisation, infrastructure planning, and accountability.

According to him, a unified Energy Ministry could bring strategic coherence, faster decision-making, and integrated planning, especially for gas-to-power projects, transmission expansion, and the balance between baseload and renewables.

He added: “That said, I am not naive. A merger is a structural tool, not a magic wand. Without accompanying reforms — commercial pricing of gas that reflects true economics, discipline in payment cycles, aggressive reduction of distribution losses, and a clear national energy roadmap — we risk creating a larger, slower bureaucracy.

“The NLC’s call for a stakeholders’ summit to flesh out the details is wise. I support the proposal in principle, provided it is designed with strong commercial orientation and private-sector safeguards to prevent over-centralisation. Done right, it could be a game-changer for ending the era of endless blackouts.”

Coordinator, Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity, Comrade Chinedu Bosah also told Daily Trust that the proposal to merge petroleum and power ministries to end erratic power in Nigeria made by the NLC will not change the current epilepsy in the power sector.

He explained that the merger can overtime end the erratic state of electricity supply if the proposal has a broader plan for massive investment aimed at expansion of “critical power infrastructure, modernisation of the power infrastructure, reversal of the dubious and exploitative power privatisation and democratic control of the corporation by workers, experts and consumers as a means of guaranteeing transparency and accountability in management.”

He added: “In other words, merging the two ministries on the basis of market economy, lack of investment, corruption, sustainability of privatisation will achieve nothing and will make the already bad situation worse.”

Director and Convener of PowerUp Nigeria, Tayo Adegbemile, said the proposed merger would not achieve the desired target.

“On the surface, these are two large and powerful Ministries that are finding it hard to come up with sound policies on their own, merging them would definitely not be a progress or resolve any problem. Merging the two Ministries does not guarantee free gas to Gencos, so what’s the purpose?”, he told this paper in a chat. (Daily Trust)