LAFIA, 15 July 2026 — Nasarawa State is moving to build one of Nigeria’s first fully operational, bankable sub-national electricity markets, betting that clear regulation, cost-reflective tariffs and a dedicated off-grid framework can attract private capital and address years of underinvestment.

The effort was the focus at the just-concluded Nasarawa State Electricity Market Roundtable, an event convened by the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA) in partnership with the Nasarawa State Electricity Board (NASEB), Nasarawa State Electricity Regulatory Commission (NASERC), Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Husk Power. The meeting was held under the theme “Building a Competitive Electricity Market for Sustainable Economic Growth in Nasarawa State.”

Day 1 closed with regulators, developers and financiers agreeing that access to capital, not generation capacity, remains the primary constraint to scaling electricity supply in the state.

Regulators set the framework

Engr. Abubakar Bello, Chairman of the Nasarawa State Electricity Regulatory Commission, said the Electricity Act 2023 has given the state authority to license operators, set tariffs and protect consumers.

“The policy framework is clear,” Bello said. “NASERC is ready to listen to all stakeholders and to provide support. We pledge to work with NASIDA to help the state move to its target height."

Mr. MD Dauda, Vice Chairman of NASERC, presented an overview of the state market transition. He traced reforms from the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005 to the Electricity Act 2023, and outlined Nasarawa’s vision for a reliable, affordable and investment-driven market. Priority areas include solar, minigrids, battery storage, metering, and commercial and industrial (C&I) power.

Dauda listed key challenges as infrastructure deficits, financing constraints, metering gaps, technical and commercial losses, and the need for regulatory and institutional capacity building.

Utility details network position

Mrs. Veronica Abah, Managing Director of Nasarawa Electricity Distribution Limited (NAEDL), AEDC’s subsidiary in Nasarawa, outlined distribution operations across the state’s 13 local government areas (LGAs).

NAEDL serves 235,057 customers, with 177,900 metered and 57,157 unmetered. About 35,039 meters have been installed through federal programs including NMMP, MAF, DISREP and vendor financing.

Abah said service quality is measured by voltage stability, losses and reliability, and that the company is pursuing meter replacement, network rehabilitation, transformer upgrades and predictive maintenance. She cited persistent issues including limited power allocation from the national grid, vandalism of transformers and conductors, electricity theft, and customer non-payment.

Speaking on readiness to support the government mandate, Chijioke Okwuokenye, Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC), said the utility remains “committed to working with NASERC to achieve the state’s electrification targets.”

NoMAP presents implementation roadmap

The main policy development was the presentation of a proposed Nasarawa State Off-Grid Electrification Policy 2025-2030, led by Adedotun Eyinade, Programme Director of the Nigeria Mini-Grid Acceleration Programme.

Eyinade said the policy translates the Nasarawa Electricity Law 2026 into an operational framework following the devolution of powers under the Electricity Act 2023. The objective, he said, “is to shift from isolated projects to a coordinated market built around universal access, private investment, productive use of energy, and industrialization.”

The policy sets targets to 2030 of 100 percent electricity access for currently unserved households, MSMEs and institutions, 250 rural minigrids across all 13 LGAs, 500,000 standalone solar systems, and 60,000 jobs in the off-grid value chain. It also commits to electrify all schools, primary healthcare centers, WASH facilities, markets, industrial parks and telecom towers, and to establish a Clean Energy Industrial Park by 2027.

To implement the policy, NoMAP proposed an 18-month roadmap. In the first 0 to 3 months, the state would publish standalone minigrid regulations, standard operating procedures, and sector accounts, and introduce streamlined licensing. In months 3 to 9, it would negotiate an interconnection framework with AEDC, introduce a state-specific tariff methodology, and develop rules for compensation of stranded assets when the grid arrives in a minigrid area. In months 9 to 18, it would institutionalize governance arrangements between NASERC and NASEB and begin annual state energy reporting.

The presentation also proposed a Nasarawa Electrification Fund to pool state budget allocations, PPP equity, private investment, grants, climate finance, green bonds and carbon finance. Governance provisions include an independent board, audits, public disclosure and results-based financing.

Eyinade identified several risks to bankability. These include the absence of a regulatory framework for interconnected minigrids, no defined mechanism for conversion or compensation when the national grid reaches a minigrid, lack of a state tariff methodology, and limited data on network hosting capacity. He also flagged the current community consent process as lengthy, and noted potential conflict of interest in NASEB acting simultaneously as implementer, inspector and fee collector.

Financing discussion centers on tariffs

Olu Aruike, Husk's Country Director and Vice President, Business Development West Africa, said investor confidence will depend on pricing that reflects cost.

“The bankability question comes first,” Aruike said. “Markets cannot be competitive if revenue is not cost-reflective and if investors cannot underwrite the risk of non-payment.”

He cautioned against tariff suppression and urged NASERC to adopt the African Forum for Utility Regulators Tariff Tool, which calculates prices based on generation source, equipment cost, operations and maintenance, and load profiles.

“When tariffs are built from the bottom up, using actual cost drivers, you get two things: investor confidence and consumer trust,” he said. “That’s the foundation for a bankable market. And, it's great to see that Nasarawa is a minigrid leader in the Nigerian energy ecosystem.”

NASERC said its minigrid regulations are almost finalized and that it will consider gaps identified by NoMAP. Alexander Obiechina, Chief Executive of ACOB Lighting, advised the commission to adapt NERC’s existing regulations rather than create new ones from scratch.

Prof. Stephen Ogaji of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company contributed to the discussion on integrated resource planning. AEDC also called for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including land concessions for public-use energy projects.

NASIDA Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdullahi, closed the session by urging developers to engage regulators early and regulators to maintain an enabling environment for investment. “We are here to make this happen. Our ambition is big. We want to see an electrified Nasarawa State. The governor has given us the necessary support to deliver.”

Post Event

Day 2 followed with a study tour to selected operational sites in Nasarawa State, including Husk Power minigrid and productive use of energy (PUE) locations, including an Husk-owned 50kWp solar minigrid plant in Alagye community, and the 1MWp solar hybrid facility at the Nasarawa State Secretariat. Participants include NASERC, NASIDA, NASEB, AEDC, NAEDL, NoMAP, NDPHC, Husk Power, Tetracore, Strom, and other market participants from the Nigerian energy ecosystem.

Emmanuel Effiong, Associate Director, Government Relations at Husk Power, said the Roundtable and Study Tour demonstrates what is possible when government, regulators, utilities and private sector actors come together around a shared vision for electricity market development. 

“Nasarawa is demonstrating that competitive electricity markets are built through deliberate collaboration, not isolated interventions,” Effiong said. “The strength of this initiative lies in the willingness of every stakeholder to jointly design the policies, institutions and commercial frameworks needed to unlock private investment while expanding reliable electricity access. Husk Power is proud to support this process, and we look forward to working with the State Government, NASERC, NASEB, AEDC and other partners to translate today's conversations into projects that create jobs, power businesses and accelerate inclusive economic growth across Nasarawa State.”

About NASIDA

NASIDA is the acronym for Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency. The agency was created through an act of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to initiate, promote, facilitate and coordinate investments in Nasarawa State, whether it be public private partnerships, privatization, concessions or commercialization of state owned assets.

About NASEB

The Nasarawa State Electricity Board is the state agency mandated to drive rural electrification and renewable energy deployment across Nasarawa State. Established to implement the state’s energy access agenda, NASEB is responsible for the planning, development, and delivery of off-grid and decentralized power projects, with a focus on communities that are underserved by the national grid. The Board works to expand electricity access through minigrids, solar home systems, and productive use programs that support agriculture, health, education, and small businesses.

About NASERC

The Nasarawa State Electricity Regulatory Commission is the independent regulatory authority for the electricity market in Nasarawa State. Created following the decentralization of powers under the Electricity Act 2023 and the enactment of the Nasarawa Electricity Law 2024 (amended in 2026), NASERC is responsible for licensing, tariff setting, technical standards, market rules, and consumer protection within the state. Its mandate is to ensure a reliable, affordable, and investment-driven electricity market that attracts private capital and protects customer interests.

About AEDC

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company is the licensed distribution company serving the Federal Capital Territory and the contiguous states of Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa. AEDC is responsible for the purchase and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across its franchise area. The company operates and maintains distribution networks, manages customer service, metering, billing, and revenue collection, and invests in network upgrades to improve reliability.

In Nasarawa State, AEDC delivers power through its subsidiary, NAEDL, which covers all 13 local government areas. The company is working to close the metering gap, reduce technical and commercial losses, and improve service quality across customer bands. 

About NoMAP

The Nigeria Mini-Grid Acceleration Programme is a federal initiative designed to scale the deployment of renewable energy mini-grids and support the development of viable decentralized electricity markets across Nigeria. Implemented with support from development partners, NoMAP provides technical assistance, policy support, and market facilitation to states and developers. Its goal is to accelerate universal electricity access by making mini-grids a commercially sustainable and bankable solution.

About NDPHC

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company is a public limited liability company owned by the Federal Government, 36 States of the Federation, and the Federal Capital Territory. Incorporated in 2005 as part of the National Integrated Power Project, NDPHC was established to address Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure deficit through the development of power generation plants, transmission substations, and distribution networks across the country.

About Husk Power

Husk Power is an award-winning clean energy company serving rural and peri-urban Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2024, Husk was named one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, ranking #24 overall, and #1 in the energy category. Husk’s AI-powered distributed energy resource (DER) platform provides renewable power to communities, households, commercial customers, institutions and factories. It also delivers a range of other products and services, including e-commerce and credit-financing of branded appliances for home and commercial use, as well as community-based solutions for e-mobility and the agricultural value chain. Husk’s mission is to supercharge economic growth and social well-being in communities that are unserved and underserved.

For media inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact:

• Ridwan Adelaja

• Manager, Strategic Comms, Husk Power

• ridwan_adelaja_ng@huskpowersystems.com | +2348025300029