UKNIAF AND NIGERIAN GOVERNORS’ FORUM ADVANCE ELECTRICITY REFORM WITH NATIONWIDE WORKSHOP SERIES

 

 Frank Edozie, Team Lead, UKNIAF at the State Electricity Workshop Jos.

The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms. The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.

Workshops in Lagos, Calabar Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead. These sessions equipped policymakers, 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.

Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, Mr. Chijioke Chuku, Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, 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.”

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The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered:

Ø The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets;

Ø Commercial models for private sector investment;

Ø Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;

Ø Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.

Participants at the State Electricity Workshop Jos.

The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—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 decentralised energy landscape.