Power Minister Tegbe Seeks Stronger Federal-State Regulatory Alignment to Drive Electricity Sector Reforms
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has called for stronger collaboration between federal and state electricity regulators to ensure the successful implementation of the Electricity Act 2023, describing the ongoing transition to a decentralized electricity market as one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria's power sector in decades.
The Minister made the call on Tuesday during a high-level stakeholder engagement that brought together key players across Nigeria's electricity value chain to strengthen coordination on the implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023 and address emerging regulatory issues.
The meeting, which also advanced efforts to resolve the growing impasse between the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), was attended by representatives of the National Assembly, the Special Adviser to the President on Power, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), officials of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, heads of federal power sector agencies, state commissioners for energy, and state electricity regulators.
The stakeholders deliberated on critical issues affecting the evolving electricity market, including regulatory overlaps, electricity tariffs, capacity development, and the need for improved coordination between federal and state regulatory institutions.
Speaking at the engagement, Tegbe stressed that the success of Nigeria's new multi-market electricity framework would depend on collaboration rather than institutional rivalry.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Power to working closely with all stakeholders to provide regulatory certainty, attract investments, and improve electricity supply across the country.
As part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, agreed to suspend the ongoing legislative process to amend the Electricity Act, 2023, to allow for wider consultations and consensus among stakeholders.
According to Abaribe, meaningful reforms require sustained engagement involving all tiers of government and participants across the electricity value chain.
Stakeholders at the meeting also reaffirmed their commitment to enhanced collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the electricity sector reforms in line with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A major outcome of the engagement was the announcement by the Minister of the establishment of a nine-member inter-agency committee, which he will chair.
The committee will comprise representatives from NERC, State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, the Nigeria Governors' Forum, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, and other relevant stakeholders.
It has been mandated to sustain dialogue, resolve emerging implementation challenges, and recommend practical measures to facilitate the seamless operationalisation of the Electricity Act, 2023 within four weeks.
In his closing remarks, Tegbe acknowledged that implementation challenges were inevitable but stressed that they must be resolved collectively without compromising regulatory standards, service delivery, or consumer protection.
He reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to building a modern, reliable, and investor-friendly electricity market through sustained cooperation between federal and state institutions.
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