Urban Alert urges state govts to implement Electricity Act 2023

A civic initiative, Urban Alert, has called on the state government nationwide to domesticate and implement the Electricity Act 2023 immediately.

The Electricity Act passed in 2023, offers states the unprecedented opportunity to establish their electricity markets, create state regulatory commissions, and take over intra-state electricity regulation from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

However, most states have been slow to act, leaving their citizens trapped in a national grid that has failed to deliver reliable and affordable power.

According to Anthony Adejuwon, Team Lead at Urban Alert, the silence and inaction by many state governments are enabling the continued weak enforcement of service standards, arbitrary billing, unjust disconnections, and a blatant disregard for citizen rights in the electricity sector.

“We are deeply concerned that despite the transformative potential of the Electricity Act 2023, many state governments have yet to take concrete steps to pass enabling laws or establish state-level regulatory frameworks,” said Adejuwon. 55% of the states have domesticated the law, and the majority have no functional commission or agency that genuinely addresses the needs of citizens as stipulated by the law passed. “This delay and inactive mode, in some instances, are not neutral; it is costly. It continues to cripple small businesses, disrupt education, compromise healthcare delivery, and deepen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.”

Urban Alert noted that under the Act, states must formally notify NERC of their intent to take over electricity regulation. NERC is then required to cede this responsibility within six months. However, without state-level legislative action and the creation of a state electricity regulatory commission, this handover process cannot begin.

“Citizens cannot afford to wait any longer,” Adejuwon emphasized. “The current centralized system is not only ineffective but unaccountable. If the states continue to delay, they are complicit in the suffering of their people.”

In a formal letter to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Urban Alert urged the state government to liaise urgently with the Osun State House of Assembly to facilitate the speedy passage of a State Electricity Market Bill and to begin the process of establishing a State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC).

Urban Alert highlighted the urgency of action, reminding the government that each day of delay not only prolongs the suffering of the people but also postpones the six-month timeline for NERC’s handover of regulatory powers. The organization emphasized that the delay continues to leave Osun residents at the mercy of a system that has long ignored their plight.
Urban Alert also calls for transparency in the process, demanding that all regulatory frameworks and decisions reflect the voice and interest of citizens. The organization pledged its support in facilitating citizen engagement, stakeholder consultations, and technical collaboration to ensure that Osun State’s power reform is inclusive, sustainable, and impactful.

“The power situation in Osun State is not just a governance issue; it is a social justice issue,” Adejuwon added. “Our communities, schools, hospitals, and small businesses barely survive. It’s time for the state to step in with transparency, urgency, and people-first policies.” The organization also warns that without decisive action, state governments will miss a historic opportunity to bring power reforms closer to the people and build local solutions to a national crisis.

“Electricity is not a luxury, it is a right and a necessity,” the statement reads. “Every day of government inaction is another day of business closures, failing hospitals, struggling students, and disempowered citizens.”

The group said it stands ready to support states through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and policy development as part of its mission to promote transparent, tech-enabled governance that puts people first.

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