The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reinforced its partnership with the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) to accelerate the country’s clean-energy transition, following a high-level stakeholder meeting at NERC’s headquarters in Abuja. REAN’s Head of Communications, Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake, disclosed that the meeting focused on strengthening regulatory frameworks, resolving industry challenges, and boosting investment prospects for the renewable energy sector, with NERC taking the lead on key policy and coordination measures.
NERC reiterated its commitment to supporting the renewable energy ecosystem through the development of net-billing and renewable integration frameworks, capacity-building initiatives, and stronger coordination with state regulators and Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs). The commission also stressed increasing public awareness and technical training for solar technicians to improve quality assurance and consumer confidence, and urged enhanced collaboration with agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and the Nigeria Customs Service to curb the influx of substandard renewable products.
REAN supported NERC’s leadership, calling for improved policy coordination, institutional collaboration, and effective enforcement to scale up renewable deployment nationwide. The association highlighted its diverse membership—mini-grid developers, solar home system providers, commercial and industrial solar operators, consultants, manufacturers, and stakeholders across solar, hydro, biomass, and wind—and praised recent reforms, including expanded mini-grid capacity thresholds and alignment with the Electricity Act 2023, as important milestones.
Both organizations identified persistent obstacles that NERC aims to tackle through its initiatives: limited capacity among some State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs); coordination gaps between renewable developers and Distribution Companies (DisCos); the proliferation of substandard products; inadequate operator certification; and limited access to timely regulatory information. To address these, they agreed to create a national stakeholder engagement platform that will bring regulators, DisCos, and renewable developers together to resolve operational bottlenecks and improve policy implementation.
With NERC driving policy action and institutional cooperation, both parties expressed optimism that sustained engagement will attract greater investment, accelerate renewable energy deployment, and promote a more reliable, inclusive, and sustainable energy future for Nigeria.
