Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday charged state governments to take full advantage of the Electricity Act 2023 by establishing functional electricity markets, attracting private investment, and ending their dependence on the federal government for solutions to local power challenges.
Shettima said Nigeria’s ambition to build a competitive industrial economy would remain constrained unless electricity reforms translated into reliable power for businesses, households, and public institutions across the country.
He made the comments while declaring open the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023 at the Banquet Hall of State House, Abuja.
The workshop, with the theme, “Unlocking the Opportunities of the Electricity Act 2023 for Sustainable Energy Development and Economic Growth in Nigeria,” brought together federal and state institutions, regulators, and other stakeholders to review the implementation of the legislation.
Represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the vice president said the act had created an opportunity to decentralise electricity governance and enable states to develop power markets suited to their economic needs and available resources.
He said, “The act empowers states to develop and regulate intrastate electricity markets within the applicable constitutional and statutory framework. The size, diversity and endowments of this nation demand this decentralisation.
“Electricity supply must become a shared responsibility, pursued with innovation and accountability across the federation. Our States must shed the habit of waiting for Abuja to provide every answer.”
Shettima identified the country’s diverse energy resources as a major opportunity for expanding electricity access, citing solar potential in Sokoto, Borno and Katsina, gas resources in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa, and hydroelectric opportunities in Niger and Kebbi.
He urged states to translate the advantages into investments capable of powering agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and education.
The vice president, however, warned that legislation alone would not guarantee improved electricity supply, calling on states yet to establish their regulatory institutions to begin the process without delay.
He stated, “Legislation cannot implement itself. States yet to act must begin their legislative and institutional preparations promptly.
“They need to establish functional electricity regulatory bodies with technical competence and capacity.”
To strengthen implementation, Shettima proposed a National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework involving the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Federal Ministry of Power, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and state electricity regulators.
He explained that the proposed voluntary framework would allow states to exchange experiences, strengthen regulatory institutions, and assess progress in market development, investment readiness, consumer protection and electricity access.
“No state needs to purchase with failure the knowledge another state has already acquired,” he said.
According to him, annual voluntary reviews should identify implementation challenges, facilitate technical assistance and promote practical solutions without undermining the constitutional powers of states.
