Fix your power supply problems, Shettima tells state

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on state governments in Nigeria to end their reliance on the Federal Government for addressing local power issues and to establish functional electricity markets under the Electricity Act 2023. Speaking at the opening of the National Stakeholders' Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023, Shettima emphasized that Nigeria's goal of building a competitive industrial economy would remain constrained unless electricity reforms produce reliable power for businesses, households, and public institutions.

He highlighted the Act's potential to decentralize electricity governance and allow states to build power markets tailored to their economies and resources, citing examples such as solar potential in Sokoto, Borno, and Katsina, gas resources in Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa, and hydroelectric opportunities in Niger and Kebbi. Shettima warned that a law alone would not improve supply and urged states to start setting up regulators promptly, proposing a voluntary National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework to facilitate experience-sharing, regulator strengthening, and progress assessment.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.