By George Omagbemi
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged state governments to take greater responsibility for electricity supply by establishing functional power markets, attracting private investment and implementing the Electricity Act 2023.
Shettima made the call on Wednesday while declaring open the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Electricity Act at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. He was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
The Vice President said Nigeria’s ambition to build a competitive industrial economy would remain constrained unless electricity reforms delivered reliable power to businesses, households and public institutions.
He urged states to stop relying exclusively on the Federal Government to resolve local electricity challenges, stressing that the law provides a framework for states to develop and regulate electricity markets within their constitutional and statutory powers.
Shettima also proposed a National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework involving the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Power, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and state electricity regulators.
The proposed voluntary framework would enable states to exchange experiences, assess implementation progress, identify obstacles and strengthen consumer protection.
He further called on states yet to establish electricity regulatory institutions to begin the necessary legislative and administrative processes without delay.
According to him, private capital, technical expertise and transparent regulation are essential to expanding electricity access and improving service delivery.
At the workshop, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission disclosed that regulatory transfers had been issued to 17 states, enabling them to assume oversight of their intrastate electricity markets.
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