FG Rallies Stakeholders, Unveils Committee To Drive Reliable Electricity For Nigerians

• Federal Government inaugurates a nine-member inter-agency committee to coordinate implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023, remove regulatory bottlenecks and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a decentralised electricity market.

• Committee given four weeks to engage regulators, operators, investors and other stakeholders before submitting recommendations aimed at ensuring the seamless operationalisation of the Electricity Act and strengthening the electricity market.

• Power Minister Joseph K. Tegbe says reliable electricity is indispensable to economic growth, industrialisation, job creation, digital transformation and the successful delivery of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

• Tegbe urges collaboration over institutional rivalry, insisting that decentralisation is designed to improve efficiency through shared responsibilities, attract private investment and build a modern, reliable and investor-friendly electricity sector for Nigerians.

July 16, () — The Federal Government has rallied key stakeholders across Nigeria’s electricity value chain and inaugurated a nine-member inter-agency committee to address implementation challenges surrounding the Electricity Act, 2023, in a renewed effort to accelerate reforms aimed at delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity to Nigerians.

The committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Power, Joseph K. Tegbe, at the close of a stakeholders’ workshop on the implementation of the Electricity Act, 2023. Chaired by the minister in his capacity as Chairman of the Power Sector Inter-Agency Committee..

According to a statement issued after the workshop, the committee, expected to coordinate collaboration among government institutions, regulators and industry operators to ensure the successful implementation of the landmark legislation, has been given four weeks to review issues raised during the deliberations.

The committee will engage extensively with stakeholders and submit recommendations, which will facilitate the seamless operationalisation of the Electricity Act. It is also expected to promote sustained collaboration, resolve emerging implementation challenges and strengthen the institutional framework for Nigeria’s evolving decentralised electricity market.

Reliable Electricity Key To Economic Growth

Speaking during the workshop, Tegbe described the transition to a decentralised electricity market as one of the most significant reforms in the history of Nigeria’s power sector, stressing that its success would depend on collaboration rather than institutional rivalry.

“Nigeria’s transition to a decentralised electricity market is one of the most significant reforms in the power sector in decades. Its success will depend not on institutional competition, but on collaboration, regulatory certainty, and our shared commitment to delivering better outcomes for Nigerians”, he said.

The minister urged all stakeholders to remain committed to building a resilient Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), describing reliable electricity as the backbone of national development and economic transformation.

“Permit me to make one central point this morning. We must make the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry succeed”, he declared.

According to Tegbe, electricity is the single most important enabler of industrialisation, economic growth, job creation, digital transformation and improved quality of life, noting that sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, mining, financial services, telecommunications and information technology all depend on a stable electricity supply.

He added that the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda equally rests on the availability of reliable electricity across the country.

“Indeed, every national aspiration under the Renewed Hope Agenda rests upon the availability of reliable electricity. The responsibility before us, therefore, extends beyond institutional mandates. It is a national obligation”, he stated.

The minister further explained that decentralisation should not be misconstrued as fragmentation of the electricity industry but as a strategic redistribution of responsibilities within an integrated national electricity ecosystem.

“The decentralisation of the electricity market should not be viewed as fragmentation. It should rather be understood as the intelligent distribution of responsibilities within one integrated national electricity ecosystem”, he said.

He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a modern, transparent and investor-friendly electricity market capable of attracting greater private sector investment while improving electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.

Commending participants for their constructive engagement, Tegbe expressed confidence that continued consultations would strengthen implementation of the Electricity Act and accelerate reforms across the power sector.

“I am encouraged by the constructive engagement of all stakeholders, including the decision to deepen consultations as we continue to strengthen the implementation framework. Together, we are laying the foundation for a modern, reliable, and investor-friendly electricity market that delivers improved service, attracts investment, and powers Nigeria’s economic growth”, he said.

The Electricity Act, 2023, is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most comprehensive electricity sector reform in decades. The legislation decentralises electricity governance by empowering states to establish and regulate their own electricity markets, while encouraging greater private sector participation, regulatory efficiency and investment to improve electricity generation, transmission and distribution nationwide.