Provide Solutions to Fix Power Sector, Not Excuses, NERC Tells DisCos

• NERC Chairman Sanusi Garba urges DisCos to propose actionable solutions for the electricity sector instead of making excuses for challenges
• Investors are encouraged to use AI for monitoring meters, as NERC emphasizes the importance of metering in improving sector performance

The Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sanusi Garba, has urged investors and owners of Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry to propose actionable solutions to improve the sector rather than making excuses for its current challenges.

During a meeting between NERC and the DisCos’ investors and owners, Garba assured them of the Commission’s support. He encouraged them to bring forward transformative ideas and suggest regulatory interventions that could lead to rapid and positive changes within the sector.

Barth Nnaji, the Chairman of Aba Power, suggested using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor meters. He emphasized that even when meter bypassing occurs, meters remain a crucial tool in reducing collection losses. He added, “Once you have metered, you can also invest in the intelligence to reduce infractions.”

Yusuf Ali, NERC’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, and Strategy, discussed the role of metering and AI in improving sector performance and highlighted the Commission’s intention to create a regulatory environment that fosters investor confidence.

Dafe Akpeneye, NERC’s Commissioner for Legal, Licensing, and Compliance, clarified the Commission’s role in issuing orders allowing states to take over electricity regulation within their jurisdictions. He noted, “People may misunderstand the Orders and think NERC doesn’t want to let go. We issue the Transition Orders shortly after we receive the requests. Once they take over, the state governments are 100% responsible for setting their states’ regulations and the tariff.”