The Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority (ASERA) has convened a public consultation forum in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, to fine-tune its draft regulatory instrument aimed at strengthening electricity supply and market development in the state.

The forum brought together electricity investors, consumers, industry stakeholders and government officials to make inputs into the draft working document expected to guide the operations of the state’s electricity sector.

Speaking at the event, ASERA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Emeka Onyegbule, said the consultation was designed to encourage public scrutiny and stakeholder engagement in the authority’s operations and regulatory framework.

According to him, the forum would help generate ideas and recommendations necessary for achieving the objectives of the administration of Alex Otti in the power sector.

“This forum is a kind of incubation room where ideas would be put forward and challenged, so that at the end of the day, we will be able to have documents that can help us work and achieve the objectives of the state governor, Dr Alex Otti, in the power sector,” Onyegbule said.

He stressed that the authority’s regulations could not succeed without contributions from critical stakeholders, adding that the process would ultimately produce a guiding framework for operators, service providers and electricity consumers in the state.

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 Abia State.

Giving background to the authority, he explained that the consultation marked a significant milestone in the implementation of the Federal Electricity Act 2023 and the Abia State Independent Power Authority Electricity Law 2025.

According to him, the amended federal law created the framework for state electricity markets, while the Abia State Independent Power Authority law established ASERA as the regulator of the state electricity market.

“These laws have established the legal framework for sub-national electricity regulation and market development in Abia State,” he added.

The Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, said the Otti administration remained committed to building a world-class electricity market that would serve all categories of residents in the state.

He described the consultation forum as evidence of the government’s commitment to transparency in developing the state electricity market.

Monday commended ASERA for developing the draft regulatory instrument and noted that the forum would provide an opportunity for consumers and stakeholders to contribute to the process.

He disclosed that Geometric Power and Aba Power had deployed more than 120,000 electricity meters to households within their operational areas over the last six months, adding that efforts were ongoing to extend similar interventions to other parts of the state.

Chairman of the ASERA Advisory Council, Sam Amadi, who delivered the keynote address, said the consultation focused on efficient electricity service delivery, consumer confidence in regulatory decisions and the fair resolution of consumer complaints.

Lead Consultant on Power to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Odion Omonfoman, described the establishment of ASERA as a critical step towards developing the Abia electricity market.

According to him, the success of any regulatory framework depends on its ability to withstand public scrutiny and serve both consumers and investors fairly.

He added that the NGF supports the decentralisation of the power sector and commended ASERA for implementing the provisions of the Electricity Act and the Abia State Electricity Law transparently.

Other participants at the forum included the Federal Complaints Commissioner for Abia State, Madukwe Ukaegbu; Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Energy, Kachy Etolue; Aba Power Commercial Operations Director, Victor Nwoke; and United Nations Development Programme Technical Specialist on Climate and Energy, Geoffrey Omedo.

The forum also attracted representatives of non-governmental organisations, electricity distribution companies, consumer groups, government agencies and the media.

In his closing remarks, ASERA Executive Director (Technical), Ifeanyi Weze, described the consultation as successful and said it demonstrated the importance of collaboration and stakeholder participation in building a transparent, efficient and sustainable electricity market in the state.

“The observations, recommendations and perspectives shared during this consultation will greatly assist the Authority in refining the proposed regulatory framework and ensuring that the final instruments are practical, balanced and responsive to the needs of the sector,” he said.