“Nigeria has an electricity market problem … not how much power we can generate” – Oseni, Chairman of NERC
Oredola Adeola
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has inaugurated the Forum of Nigerian Electricity Regulators (FoNER) as a full-fledged institution, in line with Section 230(9) of the Electricity Act 2023, to strengthen coordination and synergy across the sector.
The development also culminated in the official signing of a charter by the Commission alongside Chief Executives and Commissioners of State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), formalising the transition of FoNER from a conceptual framework into an institutionalised body.
Musiliu Oseni, Chairman of NERC, formally conducted the inauguration of the Forum on Wednesday.
Speaking at the inauguration, Musiliu Oseni said the initiative would enhance effective collaboration between federal and state electricity regulators, ensure regulatory consistency, safeguard consumer interests, promote investment, and strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of regulators across Nigeria.
He disclosed that, following extensive stakeholder engagements in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, a Technical Working Group (TWG) was constituted on September 26, 2025, comprising representatives from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), with the Secretary to the Commission serving as Ex-Officio Secretary.
Oseni explained that the Forum of Nigerian Electricity Regulators (FoNER) is structured as an institutional framework to drive coordination, coherence, and regulatory alignment across jurisdictions.
He also added that its core objective is to advance a unified approach to electricity regulation nationwide through sustained dialogue between NERC and SERCs on critical regulatory issues.
According to him, the Forum will also promote harmonised regulatory approaches in tariff setting, market operations, and consumer protection, while supporting professional development through joint capacity building and peer learning initiatives.
It will further serve as a consultative platform for electricity market reforms and sector alignment, as well as advance transparency, accountability, and national regulatory benchmarks.
“We must create an environment where regulatory ideas are incubated, transparency is dominant, investments and customer protection are prioritised, and disputes are resolved through constructive dialogue rather than protracted litigation,” he said.
“This Forum is not a ship without a rudder. It is a commitment to action.”
The NERC Chairman further noted that the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power sector are often narrowly framed around specific segments of the value chain—generation, transmission, or distribution—warning that such reductionism obscures the real issue.
“However, this reductionism is misleading—the key issue is that we have an electricity market problem,” he said, stressing that the fundamental question is not the volume of power generated but how the market can operate sustainably.
He added that addressing this concern is central to resolving the sector’s broader challenges and fulfilling the shared responsibility of driving economic prosperity.
Oseni further urged regulators to work collaboratively to prevent regulatory arbitrage by market operators, charging members of the Forum to discharge its mandate with the highest level of responsibility.
