Nigeria’s electricity regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), is urging federal and state power authorities to stop regulatory infighting and work together to safeguard the country’s reform progress.
NERC chairman Dr. Musiliu Oseni told participants at a workshop on harmonizing law, policy and regulation for a decentralized Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry that the Electricity Act 2023 will succeed only if regulators coordinate their actions rather than compete. He emphasized that consumers care about steady power supply more than which government tier is in charge.
Oseni warned that public clashes between policymakers and regulators erode trust and risk undoing gains in investment and access created by the reforms. He said NERC has already handed regulatory responsibilities to 16 states, which are at varying stages of establishing their own electricity markets, and argued that inconsistent policies or misaligned regulation could breed confusion and impair service delivery. To foster clearer federal–state cooperation during the transition, he recommended restructuring the National Council on Power to enable more frequent, focused engagement with state power commissioners. He also dismissed suggestions that the Forum of Nigerian Electricity Regulators (FONER) unfairly concentrates influence in NERC’s hands.
