17 States Create Electricity Regulatory Commissions — FG

The federal government has disclosed that about 17 states have created their own Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024.

The director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, disclosed this while providing an update on the activities of the National Council on Privatisation at its second meeting for 2026.

The meeting was chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Gbeleyi said the development was part of the implementation of the Electricity Act.

“On the implementation of the Electricity Act, with regard to the transition from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, about 17 states have created their own State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024,” he said.

Gbeleyi also noted that Akwa Ibom State recently created its own Electricity Regulatory Commission in July.

He, however, said some adjustments were still required in the implementation of the Act.

“Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” he said.

The BPE director-general said the NCP had directed relevant stakeholders to work on the required amendments to the law.

“Council has directed that stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonise the federal government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act, and we are engaging in that regard,” he stated.

The statement said the NCP meeting also considered updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme.

Gbeleyi said 668,000 meters had so far been deployed and installed on customers’ premises out of 1,033,000 meters delivered in the country.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the NCP was working collaboratively to ensure Nigerians got value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms whichever area to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.