Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged state governments to stop relying on the Federal Government to resolve their electricity challenges, calling on them to establish functional power markets and attract private investment to improve supply.
Shettima said Nigeria’s ambition to build a competitive industrial economy would remain constrained unless electricity reforms delivered reliable power to businesses, households and public institutions.
He spoke on Wednesday while declaring open the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023 at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the vice-president said the law gave states the opportunity to develop and regulate electricity markets within their jurisdictions, allowing them to design solutions suited to local needs and available resources.
He said, “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.”
Shettima identified solar energy potential in Sokoto, Borno and Katsina, gas resources in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa, and hydroelectric opportunities in Niger and Kebbi as resources states could exploit to expand electricity supply.
He urged state governments to turn these advantages into investments that would support agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and education.
The vice-president warned, however, that passing legislation alone would not improve electricity supply, urging states that had yet to establish regulatory institutions to begin the process without delay.
“Legislation cannot implement itself. States yet to act must begin their legislative and institutional preparations promptly,” he said.
He also proposed a National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework involving the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Federal Ministry of Power, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and state electricity regulators.
According to him, the voluntary framework would enable states to share experiences, strengthen regulatory capacity and assess progress in investment, consumer protection, electricity access and market development.
“No state needs to purchase with failure the knowledge another state has already acquired,” Shettima said.
He stressed that private investment was essential to meeting the country’s electricity infrastructure needs, noting that government funding alone could not finance the required transformation.
“Government cannot finance this transformation from the treasury alone; private capital must arrive with technology and expertise,” he said.
Shettima added that transparent licensing, predictable regulation, commercially viable markets and effective dispute resolution would help build investor confidence.
He also called for stronger consumer protection against arbitrary billing, poor service and unfair commercial practices, insisting that electricity operators must be held accountable for the quality of service they provide.
“The final verdict on this law will be delivered wherever a Nigerian reaches for a switch. Entrepreneurs need dependable power, young Nigerians need employment, and investors need transparent rules under which enterprise can prosper,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Abdulateef Shittu, said the forum was working to improve coordination between federal and state institutions in implementing the Electricity Act.
Shittu disclosed that efforts were under way to develop a standard tariff framework for states to protect consumers while supporting investment and commercial sustainability.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman, said the success of the law would depend on states establishing credible regulatory institutions and commercially viable electricity markets.
Also speaking, NERC’s Deputy General Manager and Head of Compliance, Hauwa Yakubu, disclosed that the commission had transferred regulatory oversight to 17 states, with Akwa Ibom the latest to receive the transfer.
Yakubu said NERC was supporting emerging state regulators through technical engagement and peer-to-peer training to help them address electricity challenges within their jurisdictions.
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