DEVELOPMENT
NERC Transfers Full Regulatory Authority to Abia as ASERA Assumes Control of State Electricity Market
…as Historic Power Sector Milestone Takes Effect December 24, 2025
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has released the Final Transfer of Regulatory Authority Order to the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA), empowering ASERA to be the statutory regulator for electricity sector activities in Abia State.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority, Mr. Emeka Onyegbule, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference at the Government House, Umuahia. He announced that ASERA’s authority to regulate the electricity market in Abia State takes effect from December 24, 2025, describing the development as a major milestone in the evolution of the state’s power sector.
Mr. Onyegbule recalled that the Constitution was amended in 2023 to enable states to participate actively in electricity generation, transmission and distribution. He explained that following the enactment of the enabling laws and the emergence of state electricity markets, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission issued an interim order allowing states to commence the establishment of their own regulatory institutions.
“That order from NERC came out on the 24th of June, 2025 and it had a time frame of six months for that transition to happen.
“That transition entails putting in the necessary structures in place, appointing the board, and equipping them to do the work which NERC has been doing.”
He noted that the expiration of the six-month transition period marks a defining moment for ASERA and the Abia electricity market as a whole.
“So today is a very significant milestone in the life of the ASERA as we have completed the six-month transition as at yesterday.
“So effectively from today, the responsibility and the mandate to regulate oversight and manage the Abia state’s electricity markets falls on ASERA and no longer NERC,.
“With this transfer, all activities within the electricity value-chain, including generation, transmission, distribution and trading fall under the direct oversight and regulation of the Authority effect from the date of the Transfer Order,” Onyegbule stated.
According to him, the transfer of regulatory authority carries far-reaching implications for electricity consumers, operators and investors within the state. He explained that decentralizing regulation would significantly improve responsiveness, accountability and customer protection.
“And like I said, it has some very, profound impact in what the market stands to benefit. First of all, we expect that by the creation of ASERA, you bring regulation home to customers.
“They don’t need to wait for NERC anymore to have their complaints resolved. We also think that the coming of the regulatory authority in the state will give the consumer a louder voice to be heard and also to be treated rightly.
“And that is what ASERA stands to achieve in terms of ensuring that there is a balance between regulation and customer delivery” Onyegbule explained.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the progress recorded in the electricity sub-sector was made possible by the enactment of the Abia State Electricity Law 2025 by the state government.
“The state has formally enacted its own law, the Electricity Law 2025.
And as a result of that law, the government has gone ahead to set up the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority ASERA.
”A body that is burdened with independent statutory regulation of the Abia electricity market.
“So in view of these developments, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has issued an interim transfer order authorizing ASERA to exercise regulatory oversight over the Abia electricity market,” Prince Kanu stated.
He described the development as a landmark achievement and one that ranks among the signature accomplishments of the present administration in strengthening Abia’s electricity ecosystem.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, said the establishment of the Abia State electricity market is critical to the realization of the Abia 25-Year Development Plan and the acceleration of industrialisation across the state.
While recalling that the journey towards operationalising the electricity market began on March 17, 2025, following Governor Alex Otti’s assent to the Abia State Electricity Law, Engr. Monday stressed that electricity remains central to economic growth, investment attraction and improved service delivery to consumers across Abia State. He added that the new electricity market was designed to be world-class, investor-friendly and consumer-focused.
He further informed that ASERA has been empowered to issue metering and billing licenses to encourage private investment in meter deployment, noting that improved metering would guarantee fairness by ensuring that consumers pay only for electricity consumed.
With the full transfer of regulatory authority now in effect, Abia State has taken a decisive step toward localized, efficient and consumer-responsive electricity regulation, a move expected to strengthen investor confidence, protect consumers and reposition the state for sustainable power sector growth.