The Electricity Act that was recently signed into law has drawn reactions from stakeholders in the power sector, with experts calling for proper implementation and ensuring an enabling environment for investors’ partnership.
Speaking, General Manager, Lagos Region, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Mojeed Akintola, noted that if it is well implemented, there will be power everywhere in the state which will extend to the whole country.
He however, advised DisCos and GenCos to partner each other as part of their role in the power reform Act.
The Electricity Act approved by the federal government permits states to generate and distribute to customers.
Also commenting, the President Association of Power Generation Companies, Mrs. Joy Ogaji, said that some states have started working with the new law namely Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti and Ondo.
“Lagos State has published a policy document to shed light on their vision for the state power market, which is to create an enabling environment for investors that intend to invest and regulate the sector in the state. Akwa Ibom has also gotten a license to distribute to 10 communities,” she said.
Power sector governance expert and Executive Director Power Up Nigeria, Mr. Adetayo Adegbemle, also stated that states can develop their distribution networks and can generate power locally, consume the same locally and the development of local industrial capacity.
Investors can now choose where they want to play. What the amendment did was to remove restrictions in the sector. So, while power has always been on the Concurrent List of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and allowed states to only provide power where the national grid didn’t cover, the amendment now allows states to operate without such limitations,” he added.
