Ben Eguzozie
The Osun House of Assembly has enacted state electricity regulatory commission (SERC) in a move the governor, Ademola Adeleke said, it will end exploitation of consumers in the state.
Governor Adeleke, in Osogbo, said the era of exploitation and oppression of residents in the state by officials of electricity distribution companies, was over. Osun State is covered by Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), one of Nigeria’s 12 power distribution companies (DisCos)
The state assembly passed the bill known as Osun State Electricity Market Regulatory Bill 2025, described by development experts as a major tool to deepen and boost the state’s economy.
The governor says the bill will open up opportunities for investors in the power sector, particularly in off-grid power generation. “Sources of power generation will be diversified, opened up, and regulated to address the chronic power supply crisis rocking the state,” he said.
The Osun SERC follows from the law authorizing states to be in charge of their own electricity. In June 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the Electricity Amendment Bill, giving the federating states the authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power within their borders. The law also allows states to license private investors to operate mini-grids and power plants.
For Governor Adeleke, the new electricity regulatory bill will ensure the right energy mix, with renewable energy to complement the traditional energy sources. He added that Osun state is open to new energy sector investors.
He also said the establishment of the Electricity Regulatory Agency would regulate and monitor the electricity market, as well as attend to service delivery issues by the distribution company; emphasizing that the commission would be empowered to address complaints of electricity users and act on the activities of the distribution company.
The SERC is expected to address critical issues relating to customer-service provider complaints, grant licenses to power generators, and disallow the current maltreatment of electricity users in the state.
Osun State with a subnational GPD of above $7 billion, places 24th on Nigeria’s 36 states GDP ranking. Its internally generated revenue (IGR) saw growth, increasing from N8.88 billion in 2016 to N19.67 billion in 2020.
