The Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ASERC) has signed four regulatory instruments aimed at improving electricity supply, protecting consumers and attracting investments into the state’s electricity market.

The instruments, signed on Wednesday in Awka, are the Business Rules, Customer Protection Regulation, Licensing Regulation and Investment Regulation.

Speaking at the presentation and signing ceremony, the chairman of ASERC, Frank Okafor, said the regulations would provide the legal framework needed to drive growth and competitiveness in the state’s electricity sector.

Mr Okafor said the instruments were designed to protect electricity consumers, establish transparent licensing procedures, encourage accountability among operators and create an enabling environment for local and foreign investments.

He said the regulations would also support the implementation of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan.

“Today marks a defining moment in the development of our energy sector. The signing of these regulations represents not merely the conclusion of a regulatory process but the beginning of a more structured, transparent and equitable energy landscape for all.

“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, establish clear and fair licensing frameworks and create conditions necessary to attract sustainable and responsible investment into our electricity market,” he said.

The ASERC chairman said the commission was responsible for licensing operators engaged in electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply, developing tariff methodologies and overseeing investments in the sector.

According to him, the regulations signal the state’s readiness to open up the electricity market to more investors and end monopolistic practices.

“With these signed regulations, individuals, groups and organisations are free to invest in the sector.

“There will be no more monopoly in the sector. We will now operate on a parallel network, creating opportunities for more investors to participate in the electricity market,” he said.

Mr Okafor said the commission would collaborate closely with the ministries of power, petroleum and other relevant agencies to ensure ease of doing business and effective implementation of the regulations.

He called on stakeholders, investors and industry players to support the commission’s efforts to achieve reliable and sustainable electricity supply in the state.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Petroleum, Charles Ofoegbu, described the regulations as critical steps toward realising Mr Soludo’s vision of transforming Anambra State into a digitally driven and industrialised economy.

In his remarks, Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said reliable electricity remained central to the state’s development agenda and the success of major projects planned by the Soludo administration

According to him, emerging initiatives such as the night-time economy, the proposed Aerotropolis, the Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City and Nee Niger City would require stable power supply to thrive.

“Electricity is at the centre of the new Anambra that Governor Soludo is building. The governor is transforming Anambra into a smart megacity, and that vision cannot be achieved without reliable power supply,” Mr Mefor said.

He urged the commission to encourage competition in the sector, noting that a liberalised market would improve service delivery and provide consumers with more options.

(NAN)