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UKNIAF partners NGF on State-led electricity market reforms
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) has forged partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) on major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.
The British High Commission stated weekend UKNIAF and the NGF have now wrapped up the State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modeling software.
Under the programme, the BHC and the NGF have successfully delivered workshops in Lagos, Calabar Kano and Jos, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.
The sessions, according to the statement, equipped policy makers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
Director in charge of Legal and the Head of Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku, stated: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”
The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered the legal and regulatory pathways for setting up state electricity markets; commercial models for private sector investment; integration of state plans into Nigeria’s national IRP; and practical training on the software platform for energy modeling.
The initiative, according to the BHC, drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work in supporting early movers in electricity market development including the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo states in setting up their markets.
“It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.
“With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralized energy landscape,” the BHC stated.
