General
Nigeria to Develop Integrated Electricity Policy, Implementation Plan
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will develop a new integrated national electricity policy and strategic implementation plan, as mandated by the Electricity Act 2023, according to the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu.
President Bola Tinubu had on June 9 assented to the Electricity Bill, now an Act empowering states, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
This, in turn, repealed the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSR A), 2005 and create a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to guide the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Mr Adelabu, while speaking on Monday at the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) roundtable for legislature, judiciary and other stakeholders said the ministry of power is working assiduously with the National Council on Power to send the policy to Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
The round table was on the Enforcement of Technical Standards and Regulations in the NESI and Allied Industries.
The minister said that Electricity Act had consolidated virtually all legislation in the NESI and strengthened the role of NEMSA as the lead enforcer of all statutory technical and regulatory standards.
This is to guarantee the safety of lives and property, with complementary roles assigned to other sister agencies under their acts.
The minister said that the round table was timely, and the theme was well-informed.
“It’s an opportunity for us to compare notes on the reforms recently brought about in NESI by the Fifth Alteration to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the re-enactment of the Electricity Act, 2023.
“It is time to take stock of where we are and where we are going. As you are all aware, it’s one of the major fallouts of the amendment to the Fifth Alteration
“I must therefore, commend the management of NEMSA for displaying leadership by recognising the vital roles played by not just the national state actors and other stakeholders in NESI, but pertinently, the legislature and the judiciary, ” he said.
Mr Adelabu said that at the last count, not less than five states had enacted their own electricity laws and commended the legislature for their incessant resolve to bring to fruition necessary statutes with positive bearing on the lives of the citizenry.
“Be rest assured that the ministry under my leadership is dedicated to leading the engagements with the state governments to maintain standards across the board to ensure that desirable reforms are undertaken and guided against regulatory rupture, ‘’ he said.
Chairman, House Committee on Power, Mr Victor Okolo, said there was need to ensure that all electrical installations deployed in NESI met required technical standard regulation and specification.
Represented by Mr Rodney Ambaiowei, he said that the technical standard regulation and specification was to ensure that such system were capable of delivering safe and reliable electricity supply to guarantee safety of lives and property.
“We have observed that NEMSA, in an attempt to enforce its mandate, has met with stiff resistance in several occasions which is attributed to lack of adequate knowledge of the agency and its function.
“However, at the end of this conference, participants would have been better informed of the mandate of NEMSA and spread the message to those concerned.
“On our part, we assure the agency that it receives adequate funding and other support it needs to effectively discharge its responsibilities, ‘’ he said.
On his part, Mr Aliyu Tahir, Managing Director, NEMSA, said that the enforcement of technical standards and regulations was a very critical aspect in managing the growth of the electricity industry in any nation.
He said that technical standards and regulations helps to ensure that all electrical installations deployed in the NESI meet the required technical standards, regulations and specifications.
“This is to ensure that such systems are capable of delivering safe, reliable and sustainable electricity supply as well as guarantee safety of lives and property.
Mr Tahir said that to effectively achieve its core mandate of enforcement, NEMSA had 19 Inspectorate Field Offices (IFO), six National Meter Test Stations and one engineering and chemical laboratory.
According to him, those offices are manned by qualified, well-trained, skilled and well-motivated engineers, technical officers and other professionals.
He said that the agency also had plans to open meter test stations in the North East and North Central Geopolitical Zones of the country whenever there was approved fund for the project.
He said that NEMSA, in the course of carrying out its mandate in the power sector and other allied industries/workplaces in the past few years, met with resistance on several occasions.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Members of the public have been invited to submit memoranda and policy proposals on the proposed National Policing Bill.
The Chairman of the Working Group, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, announced this on Monday after the team’s meeting at the State House in Abuja.
The group, headed by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, is calling for input from Nigerians as part of efforts to establish a comprehensive legal and operational framework for state policing.
It is reviewing the Police Act 2020, the Police Service Commission framework, police regulations, and other relevant laws to support the development of an effective, modern policing system.
The proposed framework will set national minimum standards, define state readiness and grant certification, clarify jurisdictional responsibilities, ensure independent oversight, uphold human rights, and guarantee sustainable funding. It would also spell out an orderly transition to a dual-policing structure.
The call for memoranda will run for two weeks, allowing citizens, professionals, civil society, security agencies, state and local governments, academics, and other stakeholders to contribute. Submissions will be reviewed and integrated into the draft bill, which will then be subject to further national consultation before being finalised and sent to the National Assembly.
The Working Group has adopted a seven-week work programme running from July 27 to September 14, 2026. The draft Executive Bill is scheduled for presentation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 3, 2026, with national consultations to follow before the final approval.
The new National Policing Bill will set out requirements for recruitment, training, oversight, funding, and transition arrangements to ensure credible, effective, and accountable policing nationwide.
“A proposed State Police Service must demonstrate that it has credible arrangements for recruitment, vetting, training, pay, pensions, equipment, custody, complaints, discipline, data, firearms control, independent oversight and financial sustainability before it begins policing,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.
The representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, who described State Police as a landmark reform, described the initiative as one of the defining reforms of President Tinubu’s administration.
Responding to concerns about federal overreach, he clarified that there is no Federal attempt to control State Police. He added that the proposed legislation is intended to provide an operational framework rather than centralise control.
Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said the proposed National Policing Bill is designed to guarantee the security of lives and property while ensuring that the establishment of state police does not become a tool for political persecution.
The Attorney-General added that states not immediately ready to establish their own police services would continue to benefit from the presence of the Federal Police until they meet the required standards.
Other participants at the meeting included the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu; President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe; Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Professor Olu Ogunsakin, Head, Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research, Nnadubem Moghalu; and Brigadier General Olutayo Muyiwa Adesuyi, representing the National Security Adviser.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says it recorded a 30 per cent reduction in gas imbalance on the country’s Western Network following the conclusion of its first-half 2026 Nigerian Gas Network Reconciliation (NGNR) Workshop.
The workshop brought together gas transporters, suppliers, shippers and off-takers to reconcile gas volumes traded between January and June 2026, while introducing a Network Entry/Exit Point Measurement Infrastructure Audit Template aimed at improving metering accuracy and accountability across the gas transmission network.
In a communiqué issued after the workshop, the authority said participants also reviewed the performance of the Nigerian Gas Transmission Network, assessed progress on major pipeline infrastructure projects, and received updates on the ELPS Gas Shrinkage Factor and Hydraulic Modelling Project.
Discussions focused on addressing metering gaps, improving network visibility through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) integration, and enhancing system reliability ahead of the commissioning of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Pipeline System.
The workshop adopted key resolutions, including the execution of outstanding Network Exit Agreements, mandatory submission of measurement audit templates and closer collaboration among industry stakeholders to improve network pressure management.
Speaking at the closing session on behalf of the authority’s chief executive, Mr Rabiu A. Umar, the Director of Transportation Systems and Networks, Mr Joseph G. Musa, said the biannual reconciliation exercise had become critical to promoting equitable gas transactions, transparency, investor confidence and efficient network operations.
Mr Musa noted that since the NGNR process was introduced in 2023, it had significantly improved gas measurement, strengthened regulatory compliance through consequence management, reduced operational imbalances and contributed to a more reliable domestic gas supply.
The workshop concluded with participants adopting the reconciled H1 2026 gas volumes, reaffirming the authority’s commitment to a transparent, efficient and reliable domestic gas market.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An investment that supports growing food and agriculture companies across Africa that strengthen agricultural value chains has been made by Swedfund.
The organisation is putting down about $12 million to strengthen climate resilience in African food systems through the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II (ARAF II).
By improving access to markets, finance and essential services, these companies help smallholder farmers become more resilient to climate and economic shocks.
Over 30 million smallholder farmers operate across Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 80 per cent of all farms and producing 70 per cent of the region’s food (IFAD). Yet many face limited access to finance, quality inputs, reliable buyers and market information. At the same time, they are among those most exposed to climate change and weather-related shocks, which threaten harvests, incomes and food security.
The investment has an ambition to reach around four million smallholder farmers through ARAF II’s portfolio companies. It also aims to meet the criteria of the 2X Challenge, which promotes investments that support women’s economic empowerment.
ARAF II invests in businesses that address key gaps in agricultural value chains, from improving market access and reducing post-harvest losses to expanding financial and digital services for farmers. By helping these businesses grow, the investment aims to improve productivity, strengthen local value chains and increase the resilience of food systems.
Swedfund invests alongside other development finance institutions and investors to help mobilise long-term capital for businesses that often struggle to access financing despite their potential to strengthen food security, climate resilience and economic development across Africa.
“Climate change is already affecting the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers across Africa. Investing in businesses that improve access to markets, finance and agricultural services helps farmers strengthen their resilience, increase productivity and build more stable incomes. That is essential for more resilient food systems,” the Investment Director of Food Systems and Strategic Investments at Swedfund, Ms Helen Hagos, said.
