POWER SHIFT! NERC HANDS OVER ELECTRICITY CONTROL TO AKWA IBOM AS STATE TAKES CHARGE OF OWN LIGHT
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has formally transferred full regulatory control of the electricity market in Akwa Ibom State to the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission (AKSERC).
The order, issued on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, is in line with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended) which has shattered the Federal Government’s monopoly and empowered states to regulate their own power.
With the move, Akwa Ibom becomes the 16th state — joining Lagos, Edo, Nasarawa and others — to take over its electricity destiny.
As part of the directive, NERC ordered Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc (PHEDC) to within 60 days incorporate a new subsidiary — PHEDC SubCo — to handle intrastate supply and distribution in Akwa Ibom.
The SubCo must obtain its licence from AKSERC, not NERC.
NERC said all transfers must be completed by February 17, 2027, marking a new dawn for state-driven power investment, generation and regulation.
It would be noted that with the EA 2023, the Commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the inter-state/international generation, transmission, supply, trading and system operations.
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS reports that the handover was on the heel of the decentralisation introduced by the Electricity Act 2023, which allows Nigerian states to set up their own electricity markets, regulate intrastate supply, and license local players.
The Act, which marked a shift from the federal government’s exclusive control over electricity, previously enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, however, retains NERC authority over interstate and international electricity generation, transmission, trading, and system operations.
Under the amended Act, it is required to transfer regulatory authority to any state that formally establishes a regulatory body and requests the transfer.
It would be noted further that in December 2024, NERC transferred the regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Lagos State to the newly established Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
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