This Monday, our dear Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, signed the Abia State Electricity Bill, recently passed into Law by the State House of Assembly.
In a ceremony witnessed by senior officials of the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government in the State including the Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, FNSE, SSG, Prof Ken Kalu, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourables Emmanuel Emeruwa and Austin Meregini, Commissioners, Senior aides to the Governor and gentlemen of the press, the message was once again sent out that Abia has become a national pacesetter when it comes to building robust legal and legislative frameworks for prosperity and freedom.
Here for me, are 5 very important things members of the public, investors and watchers of the Nigerian electricity market must know about the recently signed Bill and the implications for industrialisation, job creation and a rapid expansion of the energy market to accommodate different categories of new players:
1. The creation of an independent multi-value chain electricity market for Abia State: Leveraging on the provisions of the Electricity Act of 2023, the Abia State Electricity Law of 2025 has opened a new vista of opportunities for those wishing to play in the generation, distribution or transmission value chains of the electricity ecosystem in our dear State. The legal and legislative frameworks have now been put in place by the provisions of this Law for investors wishing to tap into the streams of opportunities in the local domestic market here in our dear State.
2. An open invitation to local operators to step in: Before now, the electricity value chain only favoured big players, those who can afford to sink in tens of millions of dollars at once. With the signing of the new Law, you will only need a fraction of what it would have cost you in the old regime to play in the Abia State Electricity market. The trick here is to identify a niche that you can serve satisfactorily, register your business as required by the law and start your business from any location of your choice. You are selling to the local market here in the State so you don’t need to sell to the national market or worry about lost energy due to poor distribution and transmission infrastructure. The ball this time is strictly in your court.
3. Conventional and renewable energy sources have been factored in: Whether you are producing your electricity through gas or hydro channels, sun or solid waste, you will find that the Abia State Electricity Bill is a robust piece of regulation that left nothing to chance, catered for what already exist and what comes tomorrow and integrates the reliability of fossil fuel with the promises of renewables. In the 64-page document assented to by the Governor, you will find overwhelming evidence that Governor Otti is preparing Abia for what comes next.
4. A major boost to the industrialisation agenda of the Government: Economic growth requires reliable energy supplies. Part of our challenge with sustained development stems from the perennial crisis in the energy sector. No nation has ever prospered on the backdrop of epileptic power supply. Governor Alex Otti has, by supporting the initiation and passage of this Law, demonstrated that he understands the major issues at the heart of our struggles with growth and industrialisation. What this new Law promises is that Ndi Abia will take control of their energy destiny and make of it what they can. Never again will what happens in a twin 2000 kilometres away from my village with regard to electricity affect whether I go to sleep unhappy or worried. We are now masters of our destiny.
5. Jobs, new investments and expansion of opportunities are now guaranteed: It is almost guaranteed that the Abia State Electricity market is bound to explode in the next few years as investors pour in funds to tap into what promises to be a steady growth market. The good news is that the present Law is looking beyond just the local market, as the Governor stated before putting pen to paper, the immediate priority is to serve the domestic Abia market but ultimately, a time will come when what is generated within will be more than local demands so the next option will be to start looking for external buyers within and outside the south east and south south regions. The necessary infrastructure and technical systems will be set up to make Abia a major national electricity market hub, serving consumers in far and near places. What follows next will be jobs, new opportunities and of course, the revival of long abandoned dreams….
