The Federal Government (FG) is set to introduce performance scorecards for operators across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, with underperforming distribution and generation companies (DisCos and GenCos) to face sanctions while high-performing operators will be rewarded.

Meanwhile, Nigerians spent an estimated N16.5 trillion on self-generated electricity in 2023, compared with about N1 trillion in revenue generated by the national grid, underscoring the enormous economic cost of Nigeria’s unreliable power supply.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed this in a policy brief presented by his Special Adviser, Martins Olajide, at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Industrialisation and Competitiveness Forum on Wednesday.

Tegbe said the ministry would introduce performance scorecards for power sector personnel, DisCos and GenCos as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and enforce clear performance standards across the electricity value chain.

According to him, the framework will reward excellence and penalise underperformance, thereby restoring discipline and improving service delivery in the sector.

He also announced plans for tariff reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable consumers while ensuring that electricity supply obligations are met across the value chain.

The minister said the measures formed part of the ministry’s eight-point agenda to stabilise the power value chain, restore market discipline and strengthen governance.

He noted that Nigeria currently has 13,625 megawatts (MW) of installed grid capacity, but average daily available capacity is only 4,854MW, leaving about 62 per cent of installed capacity idle.

This, he said, was occurring despite realistic peak electricity demand of about 20,000MW.

“The power arithmetic does not add up,” Tegbe said, stressing that the persistent gap between available supply and demand had forced households and businesses to increasingly rely on self-generation.

He stated: “Nigerians spent an estimated N16.5 trillion on self-generated electricity in 2023, compared with about N1 trillion in revenue generated by the national grid.”

Citing World Bank estimates, Tegbe said inadequate electricity supply costs the Nigerian economy about $25 billion annually, equivalent to between five and seven per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Improving the performance of electricity operators and reforming tariffs were critical to creating a reliable power market capable of supporting industrialisation and boosting productivity,” he stated.

The minister said the government would also strengthen existing power infrastructure and improve the utilisation of assets across the value chain.

According to him, the ministry plans to enhance the Lagos, Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transmission corridors, with the Lagos corridor serving as a proof of concept for the broader grid stabilisation programme.

The Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) has formally commenced operations, ushering in a new era designed to make Nigeria’s ports more transparent, competitive, predictable and efficient.

The commencement follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the Nigeria Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, 2026, which established NPERA as the statutory authority responsible for the economic regulation of the nation’s ports.

Chairman of the NPERA Governing Board, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, traced the evolution of port economic regulation to the establishment of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1978 and the concessioning of port terminals in 2006. He noted that the Shippers’ Council was subsequently designated as the interim Port Economic Regulator in 2014. Under that arrangement, the Council undertook key economic regulatory functions, including tariff regulation, dispute resolution and protection of port users.

Shema described the legislation as a fundamental reform of Nigeria’s port governance, saying the new agency represents the culmination of nearly five decades of institutional evolution in port economic regulation.

Shema said NPERA’s emergence would not result in institutional rivalry with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which retains responsibility for port infrastructure and its landlord functions.

“This is not about creating competing authorities. It is about establishing a coherent system in which institutions work together, each within its statutory responsibilities,” he said.

According to him, NPERA will focus on reducing uncertainty and unnecessary regulatory barriers, while promoting faster cargo movement and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness as a trading and investment destination.

He identified transparency, fairness, predictability, efficiency and accountability as the five core principles that will underpin the agency’s regulatory philosophy.

On port tariffs, Shema said the new regulatory framework would enable port users to better understand the basis for regulated charges, while service providers would have clearer expectations regarding compliance and regulatory requirements.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NPERA, Dr. Pius Akutah, expressed optimism that the new law and agency would, within the next one to two years, significantly clarify the regulatory environment governing Nigeria’s ports.

Akutah said the agency would work towards ensuring fair pricing, promoting competition, improving trade facilitation and strengthening government revenue.

He added that the NPERA Act provides the agency with stronger powers to improve commercial dispute resolution and protect the welfare and interests of port users and other stakeholders.

For port users and operators, the new framework is expected to bring greater clarity around tariffs, charges, licensing, service standards and commercial disputes, while supporting a more predictable business environment.

By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), in collaboration with Parts Central Limited, has unveiled an environmental initiative to tackle indiscriminate dumping and pollution on Nigeria’s inland waterways.

The programme is designed to identify sources of pollution, deploy structured waste-removal and recycling systems, improve navigability, conserve aquatic biodiversity and create jobs for riverine communities. It is also expected to support the growth of Nigeria’s fisheries economy under the Federal Government’s Blue Economy agenda.

Speaking at the unveiling in Lagos, the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engr. Sarat Braimah, said a clean waterway was critical to making the Blue Economy work.

“Making the blue economy work starts from making our waterways clean; if the waterways are clean, navigation will be easy. If the water is clean, it will create jobs for even our youth,” she said.

Braimah noted that about one-third of Lagos State is covered by water, making the condition of its waterways crucial to economic activities and the livelihoods of residents who depend on them.

Managing Director of Parts Central Ltd, Henry Onifade, said the company would deploy technology to cover waterfronts, landing ports and jetties.

“Our waterways must not only be clean, they must be safe, productive and sustainable,” he said.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Ekundayo Alebiosu, said the initiative underscored the importance of collaboration between the Federal and Lagos State governments in protecting the state’s waterways.

He said clean and safe waterways were essential to fishing, navigation and the wider waterfront economy.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, U.M. Ogechi, who represented the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Maritime Police, stressed the importance of maritime activities to Nigeria’s economy, warning that polluted waterways could endanger aquatic life, boat operators and passengers.

President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Operators (NATOP), Mrs Bolaji Mustapha, described clean and safe waterways as essential to developing water-based tourism.

The Odofin of Onisiwo, High Chief Lateef Rufai, welcomed the initiative, noting that waste dumped into waterways often ended up along the shores of waterfront communities.