By Ayomide Otitoju
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has called for stronger collaboration between national and state electricity regulators to ensure the effective implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023 and support Nigeria’s transition to a decentralised electricity market.
Tegbe made the call on Tuesday during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened to strengthen coordination across the electricity value chain and address emerging regulatory issues, including the growing disagreement between the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs).
The meeting was attended by representatives of the National Assembly, the Special Adviser to the President on Power, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, heads of federal power agencies, state commissioners for energy and state electricity regulators.
Participants deliberated on key issues affecting the sector, including regulatory overlaps, electricity tariffs, capacity development and improved alignment between federal and state institutions.
Describing the transition as one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s power sector in decades, Tegbe said the success of the new multi-market electricity framework would depend on cooperation rather than competition among regulatory institutions.
He assured stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Power would continue to work closely with all parties to promote regulatory certainty, attract investment and improve electricity supply across the country.
Following the discussions, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, announced the suspension of the ongoing legislative process to amend the Electricity Act, 2023 to allow for wider consultations and consensus among stakeholders.
Abaribe said meaningful reforms require continuous engagement across all levels of government and the electricity value chain.
As part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, Tegbe announced the establishment of a nine-member inter-agency committee, which he will chair, to coordinate the implementation of the Electricity Act.
The committee, comprising representatives of NERC, State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and other stakeholders, has been given four weeks to address implementation challenges and recommend practical measures for the seamless operationalisation of the Act.
The minister acknowledged that challenges were inevitable during the reform process but stressed the need to resolve them through collaboration without compromising regulatory standards, service delivery or consumer protection.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a modern, reliable and investment-friendly electricity market through sustained cooperation between federal and state institutions.
