Governor Alex Otti Administration Moves To Build World-Class Power Market In Abia

The Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA) has unveiled draft electricity regulations for public scrutiny and stakeholder input, as the Abia State Government reaffirmed its commitment to building a transparent, investor-friendly and world-class electricity market capable of delivering reliable power supply and accelerating socio-economic development across the state.

The Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA) on Thursday held a public consultation on its draft electricity regulations in Umuahia, marking a significant step towards strengthening electricity governance and market development in the state.
The consultation, held at Sun Heaven Hotels, Umuahia, brought together electricity consumers, investors, operators and other stakeholders to review and make inputs into the draft regulations expected to guide electricity operations and service delivery in Abia State.

Speaking during the event, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, said Governor Alex Otti’s administration remains committed to building a world-class electricity market that prioritises the welfare of the people and guarantees inclusive participation.
According to him, the public consultation underscores the transparency of the state government in developing a functional electricity market where consumers remain central to decision-making.
“One of the directives of His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, is to build a world-class electricity market that works for our people. We are creating a system where everyone is a key stakeholder, with the customer at the centre because the customer is king,” Engr. Monday stated.

He commended ASERA for the progress made in developing the draft regulations, noting that feedback from electricity consumers and stakeholders would enrich the framework and support government’s broader objective of ensuring reliable electricity supply as a critical driver of socio-economic growth.
The Commissioner disclosed that Aba Power and the Geometric Group have deployed over 120,000 electricity meters to households within their operational areas over the last six months, adding that government is already working towards replicating the feat across other local government areas of the state.

Delivering the keynote address, Chairman of the Abia State Electricity Advisory Council, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the public consultation would focus on strengthening electricity service delivery, building consumer confidence in regulatory decisions and ensuring speedy and fair resolution of complaints.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of ASERA, Mr. Emeka Onyegbule, said the consultation was designed to gather critical feedback from consumers and stakeholders to produce a robust regulatory framework that aligns with the electricity vision of Governor Alex Otti.
He explained that while regulations could be developed internally, public participation remained essential to achieving success and legitimacy.
“We have gathered to exchange ideas and subject our processes to public scrutiny because without stakeholder input, these regulations may not succeed. This engagement provides an opportunity to refine ideas and develop documents that will help us achieve the objectives of the Governor in the power sector,” Onyegbule said.

He described the event as a major milestone in the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023 and the Abia State Electricity Law 2025, which established the legal framework for state electricity markets and empowered ASERA as the statutory regulator of Abia’s electricity sector.
Onyegbule reiterated ASERA’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, customer-focused and investor-friendly electricity market capable of attracting investments and supporting economic growth across the state.
Also speaking, the Lead Consultant on Power at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. Odion Omonfoman, described the establishment of ASERA as a critical advancement for Abia’s electricity market, stressing that the success of electricity regulations depends largely on public scrutiny and stakeholder confidence.
He noted that the NGF strongly supports the decentralisation of the power sector and commended ASERA for its transparent implementation of the Electricity Act and Abia State Electricity Law.

Omonfoman further stated that fair, commercially viable and consumer-protective regulations remain essential for the long-term success of a decentralised electricity market, adding that Abia has set a commendable standard for transparency, accountability and inclusive governance in the electricity sector.