ABU-trained engineer urges State Governments to key into Electricity Act 2023 for energy security
The State Governments should seriously key into the provision of Electricity Act 2023 by setting up solid electricity markets for energy security in their respective states, former Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Prof Abubakar Sani Sambo, has advised.
Prof Sambo said at a public lecture at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria that the States should enact electricity laws aligned with the national Electricity Act 2023 to create clear legal framework for state-level operations while maintaining national compliance.
According to him, the laws are to specifically contain policy, legal, regulatory and administrative provisions for the electricity entities to be created in the states.
Prof Sambo gave a lecture, titled ‘Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Way Forward for the State Governments’, which was organised by the Academy of Natural Science and Engineering in Nigeria (ANSEN).
Sambo, who is the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, is a Professor Emeritus at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
He said the states should establish independent regulatory bodies to oversee electricity markets, ensure tailored regulations, market adaptability, and competitive service delivery.
Prof Sambo also said the states should implement policies that can attract private investments through fiscal incentives and a stable regulatory framework, fostering growth in power generation, transmission, and distribution.
These states, according to him, should support solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects with incentives to diversity energy sources, enhance sustainability, and improve access, particularly in underserved areas.
“This is in line with the Electricity Act 2023 which accords priority to renewable electricity”, he said.
The energy expert further advised that the states should ensure the adoption of small modular nuclear reactors for power supply as they require significantly less protocols than the conventional nuclear power reactors for power supply.
He stressed that the states should prioritise investments in transmission and distribution networks, in addition to collaborating with federal initiatives to expand coverage and improve reliability.
Prof Sambo, however, fingered political interference, weak Institutional capacity, and neglecting infrastructure challenges as other areas for states to avoid pitfalls as they establish their electricity markets.
He warned that insufficient funding and limited access to financing can hinder infrastructure development and service improvements.
“States must ensure adequate budget allocations and investment mobilisation. Private sector will play mostly in the last mile investment not the transmission network”, he also said.
The energy security expert further cautioned that poor coordination between federal and state regulators can create uncertainty and inefficiencies, deterring investors and complicating market operations.
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Public Affairs Directorate,
Office of the Vice-Chancellor,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (NAM)
Wednesday, 5th March, 2025
