Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday urged state governments to end their dependence on the federal government for solutions to local power problems and to set up functional electricity markets under the Electricity Act 2023.
He spoke at the opening of the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023 at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The workshop, themed “Unlocking the Opportunities of the Electricity Act 2023 for Sustainable Energy Development and Economic Growth in Nigeria,” brought together federal and state institutions and regulators.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, on Wednesday, Shettima said Nigeria’s ambition of building a competitive industrial economy would remain constrained unless electricity reforms produced reliable power for businesses, households and public institutions.
He said the Act had created an opportunity to decentralise electricity governance and let states build power markets suited to their economies and resources.
“The Act empowers states to develop and regulate intrastate electricity markets within the applicable constitutional and statutory framework.
“The size, diversity and endowments of this nation demand this decentralisation.
“Electricity supply must become a shared responsibility, pursued with innovation and accountability across the federation. Our states must shed the habit of waiting for Abuja to provide every answer,” he said.
The Vice President cited solar potential in Sokoto, Borno and Katsina, gas resources in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa, and hydroelectric opportunities in Niger and Kebbi, and urged states to turn them into investments that could power agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and education.
He warned that a law alone would not improve supply, and told states that had yet to set up regulators to start without delay.
“Legislation cannot implement itself. States yet to act must begin their legislative and institutional preparations promptly.
“They need to establish functional electricity regulatory bodies with technical competence and capacity,” he said.
Shettima proposed a voluntary National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework, involving the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Federal Ministry of Power, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and state regulators.
He said states would use it to share experience, strengthen their regulators and assess progress on market development, investment readiness, consumer protection and electricity access.
