Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reiterated that lawmakers are driven by a commitment to national development, not personal gain. He made the remark on Wednesday during a plenary session debating the general principles of a bill to amend the Electricity Act, 2023.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, seeks to address several emerging issues in Nigeria’s power sector, including regulatory overlap, infrastructure protection, and financing.
“People think we are here in the Senate to make money, not knowing that we are here to sacrifice for future generations,” Akpabio said, emphasizing the critical role of stable electricity in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth.
The bill, which passed second reading, aims to clarify the transitional process by which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) transfers oversight of intrastate electricity matters to state governments. It also proposes legal and institutional reforms designed to reduce disputes and improve service delivery.
In his lead debate, Senator Abaribe outlined the key objectives of the proposed amendment. These include improving coordination between federal and state authorities, strengthening sector financing in the face of mounting debt, and criminalizing the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
The legislation also aims to streamline labour relations in the electricity sector in line with international standards and redefine the framework for host community engagement throughout the power value chain.
Additional provisions include the operationalization of the Power Consumer Assistance Fund to support vulnerable consumers and remove ambiguities in the principal act for better implementation.
The Senate referred the bill to the Committee on Power for further legislative work, with a mandate to report back within six weeks.
