Stakeholders Push For Inclusive Power Sector Reforms In Cross River

Stakeholders have called on the Cross River State House of Assembly to adopt a more inclusive and people-centred approach to reviewing the state’s draft Electricity Bill.

During a community/civil society engagement on the draft Cross River State Electricity Bill 2025 in Abuja, the country manager of Natural Justice, Michael Keania Kanikpo, said the group had mobilised input from communities, sector experts, and advocacy groups to enrich the proposed legislation.

“We’ve reviewed the draft Cross River State Electricity Bill currently before the committee. Our recommendations reflect the concerns of civil society, experts, and local communities. Electricity consumers in rural and urban areas are often left to bear the cost of basic infrastructure like transformers, wires, and energisation. This bill must reflect provisions that protect consumers and address these recurring gaps,” Kanikpo said.

Natural Justice, a pan-African legal and environmental group, is working with stakeholders to ensure the bill aligns with constitutional provisions, encourages innovation, and promotes access to affordable electricity for rural dwellers.

Kanikpo stressed the importance of legal frameworks that support consumer protection, rural electrification, and interstate electricity trading.

“People are losing faith in national regulators and are turning to agencies like the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. States must learn from this and embed strong consumer safeguards from the start,” he added.

The review also highlighted the need for regulatory innovations such as a “sandbox” that allows testing new energy generation and distribution technologies without regulatory bottlenecks.

On infrastructure challenges, Kanikpo pointed to the absence of electricity in agricultural hubs like Akankpa for over two decades due to vandalism.

He urged the Assembly to include robust community engagement strategies in the bill to help safeguard installations.

In his remarks, the House Committee on Power and Electricity chairman, Hon Francis Obang, assured stakeholders that the Assembly was committed to delivering a bill that would strengthen the state’s energy sector.

“One of the critical issues we face is the vandalism of power infrastructure. This bill contains provisions aimed at addressing that. Once passed and enforced, it will ensure that culprits are prosecuted and communities are more involved in protecting these vital assets,” Obang said.

Obang acknowledged Natural Justice’s technical input and noted that the Assembly would continue to work with stakeholders to ensure the final bill reflected the realities and energy needs of the people of Cross River State.

The draft Electricity Bill, which is over 100 pages long, is expected to guide the state’s power sector operations in the post-national grid era, especially following the decentralisation of electricity regulation to states in Nigeria.