NERC: Nigerians Want Reliable Power, Not Regulatory Rivalry

Backs Tegbe’s call for harmony in decentralised market

Seeks stronger federal, state coordination 

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has thrown its weight behind the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe’s call for greater collaboration among operators in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), stressing that Nigerians are more interested in reliable electricity than institutional competition over regulatory powers.

The commission’s position followed a recent workshop convened by the Minister of Power in Abuja on the legal, policy and regulatory harmonisation between federal and state institutions following the decentralisation of the electricity market under the Electricity Act (EA) 2023.

The Act, which empowers states to establish and regulate their own electricity markets, has fundamentally altered the governance structure of the power sector, making coordination between federal and state institutions increasingly critical to avoid regulatory conflicts and ensure investor confidence.

In a statement in Abuja, NERC said the workshop provided a platform for stakeholders to examine emerging challenges arising from the transition to a multi-tier electricity market and identify mechanisms for seamless collaboration.

Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, said the focus of all stakeholders should remain on improving electricity supply rather than competing over regulatory responsibilities.

“Nigerians do not really care about who regulates what or who is responsible for policymaking, but they strongly care about the availability and reliability of supply. It does not matter to them who drives the sector, be it state or federal, but who actually meets their supply needs,” Oseni said.

He urged regulators and policymakers to set aside institutional interests and embrace dialogue in order to deliver improved outcomes for electricity consumers.

“It is on this basis I wish to urge all actors in the room to reflect, drop our ego and personal interests, embrace dialogue and let us all work together to meet the yearnings of Nigerians,” he added.

Oseni also proposed the creation of a more structured platform for regular engagement between the federal government and state authorities, suggesting that the existing National Council on Power (NACOP) be reformed to allow more frequent and focused policy meetings.

According to him, regular engagements between the minister of power and state commissioners responsible for electricity would strengthen policy coordination and facilitate smoother implementation of the ongoing reforms.

“These will ensure frequent touchpoints between the federal and the state governments on policy implementation and coordination, especially during this transition phase,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, had warned stakeholders against actions capable of undermining the decentralised electricity market, insisting that the reforms envisaged complementary electricity markets operating within a single national framework rather than competing power systems.

He stressed that collaboration among the federal government, state governments, regulators, investors and market operators would determine the success of the reforms, announcing the establishment of a nine-member inter-agency committee to address implementation challenges and deepen regulatory harmonisation.

According to the minister, the committee, which he will chair, has been given four weeks to engage stakeholders and recommend measures to strengthen the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023.

He maintained that regulatory coherence, investor confidence and institutional alignment would remain essential to building a stable, efficient and investment-friendly electricity market capable of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth and expanding access to reliable power.