ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER ELECTRICITY REGULATION

ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER ELECTRICITY REGULATION

By David Maduako, Umuahia

The Abia State Government, led by Governor Alex Otti, has officially taken over full control of electricity regulation in the state after several negotiations.

Speaking recently at the Government House in Umuahia, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA), Mr. Emeka Onyegbule, announced that the authority to regulate the electricity market in Abia State has been ceded to the state by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). He said the takeover takes effect from December 24, 2025.

Mr. Onyegbule recalled that the Nigerian Constitution was amended in 2023 to empower states to generate, distribute, and transmit electricity. According to him, the amendment gave rise to state electricity markets, following which NERC issued an interim order allowing states to establish their own electricity regulatory institutions.

He noted that the order had a six-month transition period.
The transition, he explained, involved putting necessary structures in place, appointing members of the board, and equipping the authority to perform regulatory functions previously handled by NERC.

He further disclosed that ASERA has successfully completed the six-month transition period.

“From now onward, the responsibility to regulate, oversee, and manage the Abia State electricity market rests with ASERA and no longer with NERC,” Onyegbule said.

With the transfer of regulatory powers, all activities within the electricity value chain in the state—including generation, transmission, distribution, oversight functions, and electricity trading—will now fall under the direct control and supervision of ASERA.

Mr. Onyegbule noted that the development has significant implications for the electricity market in the state. He said ASERA will now administer all electricity-related matters, adding that the new regulatory framework will bring governance closer to consumers.
“By the creation of ASERA, regulation is brought closer to electricity consumers. They no longer need to wait for NERC to address their complaints.

The establishment of the authority will also give consumers a louder voice and ensure they are treated fairly,” he stated.
He emphasized that ASERA aims to strike a balance between effective regulation and quality service delivery to electricity consumers in the state.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the enactment of the Abia State Electricity Act, 2025, made the progress recorded in the electricity subsector possible.
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