Energy expert welcomes splitting of ministries
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Top StoriesAn energy expert, Bornface Zulu, has described the creation of the Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Electricity as a strategic governance reform. Mr Zulu says the decision to split the Ministry of Energy into the two ministries reflects the growing complexity of Zambia’s…
An energy expert, Bornface Zulu, has described the creation of the Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Electricity as a strategic governance reform.
Mr Zulu says the decision to split the Ministry of Energy into the two ministries reflects the growing complexity of Zambia’s energy sector and the need for specialised leadership, accountability and policy focus.
Speaking in an interview with the media Mr Zulu says Electricity and Petroleum have evolved into distinct industries with different technical demands, investment requirements and national security implications.
He said managing both under one ministry increasingly risked diluting attention and slowing critical decision-making.
Mr Zulu added that one ministry was expected to simultaneously address load shedding, generation planning, transmission investment, fuel security, storage infrastructure and international petroleum market developments which became unsustainable in the long run.
“For many years, the Ministry of Energy was responsible for electricity generation, transmission, power trading, renewable energy development, fuel procurement, petroleum storage, strategic reserves, and broader energy policy. While this structure worked historically, the rapid expansion of both subsectors created what can be described as a governance capacity challenge,” he said.
Mr Zulu further commended the decision saying it is in line with regional best practices citing Angola and South Africa.
He said Zambia is not alone in adopting specialized approaches to energy governance stating that as the energy sector becomes larger and more complex, governance structures must evolve accordingly.
“South Africa restructured aspects of its energy governance framework to provide greater attention to electricity security and power sector reforms. Angola similarly maintains separate institutional arrangements for petroleum and electricity oversight, recognizing the unique strategic importance of each sector,” Mr Zulu said.
Government recently increased the number of ministries from 24 to 30 with the Ministry of Energy among those that were split into the Ministries of Petroleum and Electricity.
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