Electricity Act: We Are Still Committed To Decentralised Market — States

The State governments, nether the aegis of Forum of Commissioners for Power and Energy (FOCPEN), person dismissed claims that they were backpedalling from their committedness to guarantee a decentralised and reliable powerfulness proviso successful the country.

The forum said nary authorities has retreated from the reform, adding that instead, much states were passing laws, constituting commissions, and assuming regulatory powers each quarter.

The forum disclosed that since the transition of the Electricity Act, 23 states person passed laws to found their energy markets, with much states joining.

It besides said 14 states present person ceremonial NERC transfers of regulatory oversight.

FOCPEN said this successful a connection jointly signed by its chairman, Prince Eka Williams, who is the commissioner of Power and Renewable Energy, Cross River State, and its Ag. secretary, Engr. Mohammed Ihiezue Abdulmutalib, who is commissioner of Rural and Energy Development successful Kogi State.

The connection was issued successful absorption to a study (not successful LEADERSHIP), which, according to FOCPEN, suggested that the subnational governments person reversed people connected powerfulness assemblage reforms pursuing the enactment of the Electricity Act.

FOCPEN described the assertion successful the nonfiction arsenic erroneous, inaccurate, adding that it did not bespeak the existent presumption and advancement of Nigeria’s States successful advancing energy marketplace reforms.

Noting that they were advancing and not retreating, the forum said much states were actively engaging with the opportunities provided nether the Electricity Act and were astatine antithetic stages of legislation, regulatory formation, and marketplace design.

Recounting the advancement made crossed states, FOCPEN said: “Since the transition of the Electricity Act: Twenty (23) States person already passed enabling laws to found their energy markets, with much States joining.

“14 States present person ceremonial NERC transfers of regulatory oversight. More States are joining the betterment travel each month—recent examples see ceremonial transportation processes for Bayelsa and Nasarawa.

“Also successful its conscionable concluded Energy Summit, Akwa Ibom State unveiled its authorities marketplace blueprint, signaling beardown intent to make its authorities energy market.

“Other States are likewise readying oregon hosting stakeholder engagements, workshops, and argumentation dialogues that volition accelerate the localization of energy governance.

“Regulatory Commissions person been constituted successful pioneering States, with others astatine precocious stages of mounting up theirs, showing that the authorities markets are operational, not theoretical.”

“States crossed each regions are actively exploring frameworks for autarkic regulation, tariff orders, and marketplace design,” the forum added.

It further noted that the Electricity Act is simply a landmark portion of authorities that has opened the doorway for subnational participation.

The forum added that states were approaching the modulation with seriousness and caution, ensuring that their frameworks were credible, bankable, and sustainable.

It said acold from backpedalling, much states person travel to recognise the benefits of vigor independence, regulatory autonomy, and consumer-focused powerfulness marketplace reforms.

FOCPEN said it was gathering capableness to guarantee creaseless implementation, fiscal sustainability, and user extortion done collaboration with the national authorities and improvement partners.

“The extremity is to fortify powerfulness supply, heighten accountability, and grow entree done transparent and competitory state-level markets.

“The translation of Nigeria’s energy assemblage is simply a journey, not an event. FOCPEN and its subordinate States stay afloat committed to delivering connected the committedness of the Electricity Act, ensuring that the gains of decentralisation construe into reliable powerfulness supply, improved governance, and greater entree for each Nigerians.

“We telephone connected stakeholders and the media to study developments responsibly, reflecting the existent advancement and increasing enthusiasm crossed Nigeria’s subnational governments,” FOCPEN stated.