The Minister of Power, Olasunkani Tegbe, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to ensure the success of the country’s ongoing electricity sector reforms.
Mr Tegbe made the call at a high-level workshop on legal, policy and regulatory harmonisation between federal and state institutions on the Decentralisation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), held in Abuja.
The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Power in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Commending NERC for convening the workshop, Mr Tegbe described the engagement as a timely platform for resolving critical issues and advancing the delivery of reliable electricity to Nigerians.
According to him, federal and state institutions must work in harmony rather than in isolation to improve electricity supply across the country.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration, Rilwan Babalola, urged participants to embrace the transition as partners working towards one Nigerian electricity market, rather than institutions protecting separate jurisdictions.
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The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Enyinnaya Abaribe, reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to working with stakeholders to ensure that amendments to the Electricity Act provide regulatory clarity, attract investment, strengthen cooperation between regulators, and ultimately guarantee reliable electricity supply for Nigerians.
In his remarks, the Chairman of NERC, Musiliu Oseni, noted that Nigerians are less concerned about which institution regulates the sector or formulates policy, and are more interested in having a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Mr Oseni urged all actors within the emerging multi-tier electricity market to sustain dialogue, strengthen cooperation and remain focused on delivering improved outcomes for electricity consumers.
