President Bola Tinubu has assented to the electricity bill, which authorizes states, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The new electricity law repeals the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) which was signed by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.

The EPSRA (2005) provided the legal, regulatory and governance frameworks underpinning the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

The new Act signed by Mr Tinubu consolidates all legislations dealing with the electricity supply industry to provide an omnibus and ideal institutional framework to guide the post-privatization phase of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry and encourage private sector investments in the industry.

It also provides a framework for the improvement of access to electricity in rural, unserved, underserved, peri-urban and urban areas through the use of conventional sources and renewable energy off-grid and mini-grid solutions.

The Electricity Act also mandates the imposition of renewable purchase obligations on distribution or supply licensees.

Meanwhile, until a state has passed its electricity market laws, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will continue to regulate electricity business exclusively carried out in those states.