The Senate has advised state governors to withdraw from making laws on electricity equipment standards.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, explained that the 2023 Electricity Act (2023 EA) did not grant states the authority to enforce technical electricity standards.
He stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) 4th Edition of The Stakeholders Roundtable for the Enforcement of Technical Standards, Regulations, and Mandates, in Abuja.
Abaribe stated that Nigeria cannot afford to have too many laws on technical electricity standards. He stressed the need to make it clear to states through further legislation by amending the 2023 Electricity Act.
“In the new law that they passed in 2023, there is nowhere in that law that gives the states the right to enforce standards of our electrical equipment done by NEMSA.
“So, I have discussed this with the legal unit and decided to amend the 2023 law to make it explicit that for safety, Nigeria must have one standard rather than multiple standards.
“We have to ensure that people do not mischievously set up their own standards. We will make sure we make it very explicit and as you know, a federal law, supersedes the state law,” Senator Abaribe said.
The Committee Chairman commended NEMSA for organizing the round table at a time when substandard electrical equipment is considered one of the major culprits of frequent grid collapse in Nigeria.
Speaking, NEMSA Managing Director, Engr. Aliyu Tahir said the event is one of the critical steps in the collective journey toward ensuring the safety, reliability, and sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity supply industry.
He thanked the legislative arm for the support the agency has been getting, noting that the legislative backing was instrumental in the agency’s service delivery.
According to the Nation, Tahir assured that NEMSA would continue to deliver on its roles towards protecting lives and property within the grid, off-grid networks and electrical installations.