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Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged state governors to take ownership of electricity provision in their domains by establishing viable intrastate electricity markets under the Electricity Act 2023, instead of waiting on the Federal Government.
Shettima gave the charge on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the National Stakeholders Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023 at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The Vice President, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said stable electricity is critical to industrialization and economic growth.
The workshop, themed “Unlocking the Opportunities of the Electricity Act 2023 for Sustainable Energy Development and Economic Growth,” had in attendance federal and state officials, regulators and power sector stakeholders.
He noted that the Electricity Act 2023, signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, decentralizes the power sector and empowers states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity within their boundaries, while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission regulates interstate and national grid operations.
According to him, Nigeria’s size and diverse energy endowments make decentralization necessary, and electricity must become a shared responsibility driven by innovation and accountability.
Shettima pointed out that states have comparative advantages: solar potential in Sokoto, Borno and Katsina; gas in Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa; and hydro in Niger and Kebbi, urging governors to turn these resources into investments for agriculture, industry, health and education.
He warned that legislation alone will not transform the sector and urged states yet to start to begin legislative and institutional preparations and set up technically competent regulatory bodies.
To accelerate implementation, he proposed a voluntary National Electricity Reform Peer Review and Implementation Framework involving NERC, the Federal Ministry of Power, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and state regulators for peer learning and tracking progress on market development, investment, consumer protection and access.
He stressed the need for private capital, transparent licensing, predictable regulation, commercial viability and effective dispute resolution to attract investors, while also emphasizing consumer protection against arbitrary billing and poor service.
“The final verdict on this law will be delivered wherever a Nigerian reaches for a switch,” Shettima added.
In updates at the workshop, NERC Head of Compliance, Hauwa Yakubu, disclosed that regulatory autonomy has been transferred to 17 states, with Akwa Ibom being the latest on August 18, 2026, with full transition expected by February 17, 2027.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman, and NGF DG, Dr. Abdulateef Shittu, said success depends on credible state institutions and a standard tariff framework that balances consumer protection and investment.
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