Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the 36 state governors to stop relying solely on the Federal Government to address electricity challenges, saying they can now generate and distribute electricity under the Electricity Act 2023. 

Shettima stated this at the National Stakeholders Workshop on the Electricity Act 2023, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Vice President, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, said Nigeria could not build a competitive industrial economy without reliable electricity for businesses, households and public institutions. 

He explained that the Electricity Act empowers states to develop and regulate their own electricity markets within the applicable constitutional and legal framework. Shettima stressed that the size, diversity and resources of the country make decentralisation of the electricity sector necessary. 

He added that electricity supply should become a shared responsibility, driven by innovation and accountability across the federation. 

The Vice President therefore urged state governments to move away from the practice of waiting for the Federal Government to provide solutions to their electricity challenges.