Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe , at a recent workshop in Abuja, has called for harmonisation of regulatory and operational activities in the Nigerian Electricity Market (NEM).
The Honourable Minister who made the call while giving his remarks said this will ensure power sector players work towards the onerous goal of increasing access to electricity supply for Nigerians noting that electricity remains the bedrock for the development of any nation.
The workshop convened by the power minister on 14th July 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, had the theme: ‘Legal, Policy and Regulatory Harmonisation between Federal and State Institutions on the Decentralisation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)’.
IN his opening address, Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Musiliu Oseni, joined the Honourable Minister of Power to call for harmony in the multi-tier electricity market.
Dr Oseni also noted that Nigerians are less concerned about which institution regulates the sector or formulates policy but rather, are more interested in having reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
The NERC Chairman 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.
“Nigerians do not really care about who regulates what or who is responsible for policymaking, but they strongly care about the availability and reliability of supply. It does not matter to them who drives the sector, be it state or federal, but who actually meets their supply needs” the nerc chairman declared.
“wish to urge all actors in the room to reflect, drop our ego and personal interests, embrace dialogue and let us all work together to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.
We must create a strategic platform where regulatory and policy dialogues on the issues relating to the power sector take place” Dr Oseni further declared.
The nerc chairman while noting that the minister may wish to institute a periodic policy meetings with policy commissioners however acknowledged that such platform through which this could take place already exists under the National Council on Power (“NACOP”), advising that there is a need to reform the structure of engagements which he says must be relatively more frequent including adoption of a more focused policy meetings with state commissioners as against the annual and somewhat large gathering adopted in the past.
“These will ensure frequent touchpoints between the federal and the state governments on policy implementation and coordination, especially during this transition phase” the nerc chairman concluded.
