*International Energy Regulators Regional Association.
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
20 May 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Nigerian membership of the Energy Regulators Regional Association (ERRA) has been upgraded from the associate status to full membership at the recently concluded general assembly of the international organisation held in Warsaw, Poland, along with Cameroon, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
This comes as the acting chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Anthony Akah, was elected a member of a seven-man presidium of the body of independent regulatory bodies from Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East and the United States.
According to a statement by the NERC’s head, Media, Michael Faloseyi, other members of the council were drawn from Oman, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Estonia and Turkey.
Nigeria’s membership of the ERRA has been beneficial in terms of exchange of experience with other regulatory agencies through training, internships and knowledge sharing among member states, according to the statement.
The body has on a number of occasions conducted training and seminars within and outside the country for the staff of the commission in areas of managing emerging privatised electricity market, tariff setting, incentive regulation and benchmarking among others.
This new status attained by Nigeria and the election of Akah as a member of the seven-man presidium, for a two-year term, is expected to further attract more benefits to the country.
