Abia pushes on with power sector reforms

The Abia State Government has expressed its determination to address structural challenges and service gaps in its power sector.

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The Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, made this known on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, in Umuahia.

Mr Monday said that the state government, in order to actualise its desire to transform the power sector, had designed the Abia State Electricity Bill and it was meticulously prepared with the support of professionals.

He said that the bill, leveraging on the Electricity Act 2023, represented a transformative step toward building a competitive and efficient electricity market within the state.

The commissioner said that the key features of the bill include the creation of Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority, Rural Electrification Agency and Abia State Electricity Fund.

He said: “The regulatory authority would regulate all the sectors in the market.

“We are creating the fund, because we know that electricity is not cheap and we know that there are vulnerable people that cannot afford it, and we know that we have dilapidated infrastructure.

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‘The fund will be used to make sure that better infrastructure is provided, people unable to access electricity will get it through government intervention, and support people that cannot afford to pay the stated tarrif because it is going to be market-driven.”

Mr Monday said that the government had evolved the bill to facilitate the creation of a market that would be driven by the market forces, meaning that tarrif system would be very competitive.

“We want efficient players to come into our electricity market within the state.

“This will help in promoting industrialisation as we know our people are gifted and without electricity there is no way we can achieve the socioeconomic growth of the state,” he said.

Mr Monday said that great attention would be placed on renewable energy and local content, because the bill contained provisions for incorporation of renewable energy into the government’s power sector transformation agenda.

He said that dedicated sections of the bill addressed host community benefits, which focused on ensuring that communities within Abia would actively benefit from the electricity market.

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The commissioner explained that the bill covered all aspects of electricity provision, from metering to infrastructure development, ensuring a holistic framework for the state’s power sector.

He said that the Abia House of Assembly would be holding a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday, which described as an “important opportunity for stakeholders, including residents, professionals, and community leaders, to contribute their insights”.

According to him, active public participation during the hearing would ensure the bill reflects the needs and aspirations of all the residents.

He urged the people of Abia and stakeholders to take part in the hearing because a participatory approach would strengthen the bill and lay a solid foundation for its successful implementation when it becomes a law.

(NAN)