Anambra signs four regulations to boost power

The Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission has signed four new regulatory instruments for immediate enforcement to improve electricity supply in the state.

The four regulatory instruments, which include the Business Rules, Customer Protection Regulation, Licensing Regulation, and Investment Regulation, are expected to guide governance, protect consumers, and attract investment in Anambra’s electricity sector.

The commission pointed out that the regulations were aimed at breaking the monopoly of the First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which is in charge of power distribution in Anambra.

The Presentation and Signing of Regulatory Instruments ceremony, which took place at the Old Government House in Awka on Wednesday, was aimed at enabling other investors to participate in the power sector, as well as providing governance and legal frameworks for the industry.

Speaking shortly after the signing, the ASERC Chairman, Prof Frank Okafor, said the commission, under his watch, is tasked with regulating the Anambra electricity market and ensuring compliance with Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan.

Okafor said, “Key responsibilities include licensing companies engaged in generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity; developing tariff methodologies to balance affordability and sustainability; overseeing investments in the electricity sector and creating policies to attract local and international investors; ensuring consumer protection and resolving disputes in the Anambra electricity market.

“Today marks a defining moment in the development of our energy sector. The signing of these four draft regulations on Customer Protection, Application for Licences, Investment in the Electricity Market, and Business Rules represents not merely the conclusion of a regulatory process, but the beginning of a more structured, transparent, and equitable energy landscape for all.

“This is a journey started by our ebullient Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, sometime in April 2025, when he signed the Anambra State Electricity Bill, earlier passed by the pragmatic Anambra State House of Assembly, into law. The governor quickly followed this by inaugurating the five commissioners of the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission on October 9, 2025.

“These regulations have been shaped by months of careful deliberation, expert consultation, and a shared commitment to getting it right. They reflect our collective resolve to protect the rights of every consumer, to establish clear and fair licensing frameworks that promote accountability, and to create the conditions necessary to attract sustainable and responsible investment into our electricity market.

“We recognise that a well-regulated energy sector is the backbone of economic growth and social development. When consumers are protected, when market participants operate under clear rules, and when investors have confidence in the regulatory environment, everyone benefits—businesses, households, and the nation as a whole.

“The signing process also marks the beginning of structured collaboration with the relevant branches of the executive arm of government. In particular, the State Ministry of Power, the State Ministry of Petroleum, and other ministries involved with communications, lands, and city and regional planning to ensure ease of doing business in the sector.”

Okafor reminded partners, investors, and industry players that the regulations signalled a serious commitment to boosting Anambra’s economic environment through a stable electricity supply.

“With these signed laws, individuals, groups, or organisations are free to invest in the sector. There will be no more monopoly in the sector. We would now operate a parallel network. No longer business as usual. No longer First Power affairs alone. Intended investors are free to invest without any obstacle whatsoever,” he added.

He listed the four instruments signed as the Business Rules, Customer Protection Regulation, Licensing Regulation, and Investment Regulation, which are expected to guide governance, protect consumers, and attract investment in Anambra’s electricity sector.

Okafor further called for collaboration to enable the commission to work effectively.

In their separate remarks, the State Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Casmir Agummadu; the State Commissioner for Petroleum, Prof. Charles Ofoegbu; and the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, described the new regulations as further steps towards actualising Governor Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a digitalised state in Nigeria, adding that they would encourage investment and protect consumers’ rights.

The event was attended by the Managing Director of First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited, Mr Okechukwu Okafor, the management of ASERC, permanent secretaries, and members of the media.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, commended ASERC and First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited for the milestones recorded in improving power supply in the state, describing electricity as a major pillar of the new Anambra that Governor Soludo is building.

Mefor said, “I just want to first commend the efforts of the commission. I was here many, many years ago when there was no commission. And between then and now, so much growth, so much power.”

The commissioner linked the reforms to visible improvements since First Power was empowered. “The day First Power was empowered, I was there also. And since then, I think power supply has improved significantly. I hope others are also witnessing improved power supply. If you are not witnessing it, you will soon witness it with the coming into force of these four laws.”

Mefor reiterated that Governor Soludo is determined to provide electricity to encourage industrialisation and drive mega projects across the state.

He listed key projects planned for Governor Soludo’s second term that will depend on reliable electricity: the emerging night economy, the planned Aerotropolis and its aviation-linked ecosystem, the Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City, which Anambra describes as its industrial park, and Nee Niger City, among others.

“For me, electricity and roads are the two things that make me believe that a place is transforming. Electricity is at the centre of the new Anambra that Soludo is bringing. He is transforming Anambra into one smart megacity. How can that be without electricity?” he asked.