The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, has charged all stakeholders in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) value chain to avoid actions that could negatively impact the nation’s decentralized electricity market.
The minister made the call at the workshop on Legal, Policy and Regulatory Harmonisation between Federal and State Institutions on the Decentralisation of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), which was held on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, while the Federal Government retains an important leadership role, the state governments now have expanded responsibilities, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) continues to regulate areas within its jurisdiction; and state regulatory commissions are emerging to supervise their respective markets.
The minister clarifies that power transmission remains a national asset; while the Distribution Companies (DisCos) continue to serve millions of customers; Generation Companies (GenCos) continue to supply energy into the grid; private investors are providing capital; development partners provide technical support; while consumers remain at the heart of every decision.
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Tegbe explained that none of these institutions existed in isolation based on the interconnectivity of the activities of all the players in the electricity value-chain and the success recorded, adding that this is why collaboration must become the defining principle of our decentralised electricity market.
The minister further stressed: “We must ensure collaboration rather than competition between institutions. We must build alignment instead of regulatory conflict. We must practice mutual respect instead of jurisdictional rivalry.
“The Electricity Act did not establish parallel electricity industries. It established complementary electricity markets operating within one national framework.
“Our objective must therefore be regulatory coherence. Investors should not encounter conflicting rules. Developers should not navigate contradictory approval processes. Consumers should not become casualties of institutional uncertainty. Market participants should enjoy clarity, predictability and confidence wherever they choose to invest”, he added.
