The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has urged investors and owners of Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry to propose solutions to improve the sector rather than “excuses” for its current state.
Sanusi Garba, Chairman of NERC, stated this during a meeting between the Commission and the DisCos’ investors.
As revealed on Commission’s X, Garba assured of NERC’s support, and encouraged “them to bring forward transformative ideas and suggest regulatory interventions that could lead to rapid and positive changes within the sector.”
Barth Nnaji, the Chairman of Aba Power, suggested using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor meters.
He emphasized that even when meter bypassing occurs, meters remain a crucial tool in reducing collection losses.
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He added, “Once you have metered, you can also invest in the intelligence to reduce infractions.”
Yusuf Ali, NERC’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, and Strategy, discussed the role of metering and AI in improving sector performance and highlighted the Commission’s intention to create a regulatory environment that fosters investor confidence.
Dafe Akpeneye, NERC’s Commissioner for Legal, Licensing, and Compliance, clarified the Commission’s role in issuing orders allowing states to take over electricity regulation within their jurisdictions.
He noted, “People may misunderstand the Orders and think NERC doesn’t want to let go. We issue the Transition Orders shortly after we receive the requests. Once they take over, the state governments are 100% responsible for setting their states’ regulations and the tariff.”
