The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), has concluded a nationwide workshop series aimed at strengthening State-led electricity market reforms.
The State Learning Workshops, held in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos, trained representatives from all 36 States and the FCT on electricity market development, integrated resource planning (IRP), and the use of energy modelling software.
The sessions provided policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with tools to design sustainable, investor-ready electricity markets in line with the Electricity Act 2023.
Speaking on the initiative, NGF Director of Legal and Head of the Power Desk, Mr. Chijioke Chuku, stressed that the future of Nigeria’s electricity sector depends on the capacity of States to lead with “vision, clarity and technical precision.” He added that the workshops were designed to give States not only knowledge but also the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets.
The workshops covered legal and regulatory pathways for establishing State electricity markets, commercial models for private sector investment, integration of State plans into the National IRP, and hands-on training with energy modelling tools.
The initiative also leveraged UKNIAF’s experience working with Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Oyo States—pioneers in electricity market development—as well as its technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting Nigeria’s first National Integrated Electricity Policy and National IRP, both recently approved.
With States now legally empowered under the Electricity Act 2023, the UKNIAF–NGF collaboration marks a critical step in building capacity, coordination and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised power sector.
