By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Umuahia, May 21, 2026
The Abia Government says it is committed to building a world-class electricity market that would serve all categories of residents in the state.
The Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr. Ikechukwu Monday, stated this during a Public Consultation on Draft Regulations organised by the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority(ASERA), in Umuahia.
Monday said that the public consultation reflected the level of transparency being adopted by the state government in developing the electricity market.
According to him, Gov. Alex Otti has directed that the state should build a world-class electricity market that would be inclusive and beneficial to all residents.
“This event shows the transparency that we are putting together in building the electricity market.
“One of the directives of His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, is that we build a world-class electricity market that works for our people.
“So, we are building a market where everybody will be a key player, while recognising that the customer remains a very critical stakeholder,” he said.
The commissioner commended ASERA for the work done in developing the draft regulations, noting that the consultation was aimed at getting feedbacks from consumers and other stakeholders.
He said that the initiative aligned with the administration’s efforts to provide residents with reliable electricity as a key driver of socio-economic development.
Monday further disclosed that Geometric Power and Aba Power had deployed more than 120,000 meters to households within their operational areas in the last six months.
He added that efforts were ongoing to replicate the feat across other local government areas of the state.
In his address, the Chairman of the Abia State Electricity Advisory Council, Mr Sam Amadi, said the engagement focused on efficient electricity service delivery, consumer confidence and fair resolution of complaints.
Amadi noted that the consultation would strengthen the credibility and legitimacy of regulatory decisions in the state’s electricity market.
In his speech, the Chairman of ASERA, Mr. Emeka Onyegbule, said the consultation was aimed at obtaining stakeholder input that would help the authority achieve the objectives of the state government in the power sector.
“We have gathered to rub minds and open ourselves to public scrutiny in terms of what we are doing at the authority.
“Without input from critical stakeholders, such regulations may not succeed,” Onyegbule said.
He said the engagement would help produce guidelines for operators, service providers and consumers in the electricity market.
Onyegbule reiterated ASERA’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, investor-friendly and customer-focused electricity sector capable of supporting economic growth and improved service delivery across the state.
According to him, the consultation marked a significant milestone in the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023 and the Abia State Electricity Law 2025.
He explained that the federal law created state electricity markets, while the Abia law established ASERA and provided the legal framework for sub-national electricity regulation and market development in the state.
Also, the Lead Consultant on Power at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Odion Omonfoman, described the establishment of ASERA as a major step toward the development of the Abia electricity market.
Omonfoman said the success of decentralised electricity markets depended on fair, commercially viable and consumer-protective regulations.
He added that the consultation demonstrated transparency, inclusiveness and good governance in the electricity sector.
Omonfoman commended ASERA for moving swiftly in implementing the mandates of the Electricity Act and the Abia State Electricity Law.
In their separate remarks, some stakeholders at the event, Mr. Ike Okigwe and Mr. Kelechukwu Omeribe, called for stronger protection of electricity consumers, especially in connection and disconnection procedures.
The stakeholders further regretted that political interference had undermined several initiatives in the power sector.
They also urged ASERA to involve NGOs and professional bodies at the grassroots level to reduce misunderstandings between electricity consumers and operators.
