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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) says it has recorded historic milestones in its journey towards energy independence in the state over the past one year.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Engr. Ibrahim S. Abduwaaris, disclosed this in his speech commemorating the Commission’s one-year anniversary of regulatory oversight and the successful establishment of the Kogi State Electricity Market.
“Our achievements in this foundational year go beyond policy. To govern this market, we have issued 10 critical regulations, including the Market Code and Customer Protection Regulations. Our Kogi State Electricity Forum Committee has already achieved an 85 per cent resolution rate for escalated consumer complaints,” he said.
According to him, the Commission has also streamlined its licensing process to encourage private investment, recently issuing permits to pioneering developers such as Havewill Energy, Privida Power, and CrossBoundary Energy Access to boost last-mile electrification through off-grid solutions.
On consumer engagement, Engr. Abduwaaris told the gathering that KERC organised town hall meetings and multilingual radio outreach in Ebira, Igala, Yoruba, and Hausa, through which citizens were educated on energy efficiency, demand-side management, and their rights under the Commission’s regulatory framework.
Commenting on renewable energy integration, the KERC boss said the Commission has developed frameworks to promote Kogi’s vast hydro, solar, and biomass potential, ensuring a diversified energy mix that reduces dependence on the national grid.
He explained that the Commission has continued to work closely with NERC and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) to address cross-cutting jurisdictional issues, integrate data dashboards, and share best practices in market settlement.
Presenting the Commission’s progress report from the perspective of institutional development, its Vice Chairman, Engr. Micheal Meliga, said that within its first year, KERC has successfully established its institutional framework, including governance structures, operational units, and administrative systems.
He added that the Commission has developed a functional structure covering market competition, rates and consumer affairs, licensing and compliance, finance and management services, as well as engineering and performance management.
On regulatory framework development, the Vice Chairman revealed that the Commission initiated foundational regulations, including licensing procedures, tariff framework guidelines, metering regulations, and embedded generation guidelines.
To boost the state electricity market, KERC has also implemented support systems, including outreach programmes, a dispute resolution forum, a special court for energy theft cases, and regular stakeholder engagements.
Engr. Meliga, who drew the attention of residents to investment opportunities in the Kogi State electricity market, identified areas such as embedded generation involving small- and medium-scale projects tailored to serve high-yield industrial clusters and community demands.
Others, he said, include metering interventions to close existing gaps and create immediate, guaranteed-revenue opportunities for private sector participation, as well as mini-grids for high-potential underserved areas.
Engr. Meliga added that KERC is positioned as a structured gateway for decentralised electrification.
He said the first year of the Commission’s operations represents a foundational phase in the development of the Kogi State electricity market.
“While significant work remains, the progress achieved demonstrates the state’s commitment to building a reliable, efficient, and investor-friendly electricity sector.
“With sustained effort and strategic focus, Kogi State is well positioned to become a model for sub-national electricity market development in Nigeria,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that highlights of the occasion included goodwill messages from stakeholders in the electricity sector, presentation of a licence to Kogi Electricity Distribution Limited, awards to three deserving staff of the Commission, raffle draw and the cutting of the anniversary cake.
