Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s electricity supply challenges may see renewed momentum as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, moved to deepen collaboration, targeting improved gas-to-power coordination and long-term energy security.
This is as the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, led a management delegation on a courtesy visit to NERC in Abuja, underscoring growing recognition that Nigeria’s power sector crisis cannot be resolved without tighter alignment between electricity and petroleum regulators.
Discussions at the meeting centred on strengthening institutional synergy between the power and gas sectors, widely regarded as the backbone of Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
Speaking during the engagement, both regulators stressed the need for continuous collaboration and coordinated regulatory strategies, noting that fragmented oversight has contributed to supply bottlenecks and inefficiencies across the energy landscape.
“As regulators of two critical sectors of the economy, there is a need for sustained engagement and coordinated approaches that will deliver practical solutions capable of moving our sectors forward,” the regulators jointly agreed.
Welcoming the NMDPRA delegation, NERC Chairman, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, said closer cooperation between the electricity and petroleum regulators was essential to resolving structural constraints in the power sector.
“Stronger collaboration between NERC and NMDPRA will promote policy coherence, improve operational efficiency, and support sustainable development across Nigeria’s entire energy value chain,” Oseni said.
Gas supply constraints remain one of the biggest threats to grid stability, making regulatory alignment between gas and power authorities critical to unlocking stranded generation capacity and improving electricity reliability.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment by both agencies to deepen engagement and explore joint initiatives aimed at stabilising and growing Nigeria’s power sector, as the country seeks reliable energy supply to support economic growth and industrial expansion.
