The Federal Government has constituted a nine-member inter-agency committee to address implementation issues arising from the decentralisation of Nigeria’s electricity market and support the smooth implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023.
The committee was announced by the Minister of Power at the end of a stakeholders’ workshop on the decentralisation of the electricity market, according to a statement issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The minister, who chairs the power sector inter-agency committee, said the body would drive sustained engagement among stakeholders, resolve emerging implementation challenges and facilitate the seamless operationalisation of the Electricity Act.
According to the statement, the committee has four weeks to review issues raised during the workshop, engage relevant stakeholders and submit recommendations for resolving identified concerns.
Addressing participants, the minister described Nigeria’s transition to a decentralised electricity market as one of the most significant reforms in the power sector in decades.
He stressed that the success of the reform would depend on collaboration among institutions, regulatory certainty and a shared commitment to improving electricity supply for Nigerians.
“We must make the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry succeed,” the minister said, noting that electricity remains critical to economic growth, industrialisation, job creation, digital transformation and improved living standards.
He said reliable power supply underpins key sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, financial services, telecommunications and information technology, adding that the success of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda depends largely on improved electricity availability.
The minister urged stakeholders to view the decentralisation of the electricity market not as fragmentation but as the effective distribution of responsibilities within an integrated national electricity ecosystem.
He also welcomed the commitment of stakeholders to deepen consultations and strengthen the implementation framework, expressing confidence that the collaborative approach would help build a modern, reliable and investor-friendly electricity market capable of attracting investment and delivering better services to electricity consumers.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders to deliberate on the implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023, as Nigeria continues reforms aimed at transforming the country’s power sector.
