Fixing Nigeria’s Power Sector through Data, Research, and Institutional Synergy: Legislative Options for Strengthening Sector Coordination

Abstract

Nigeria’s electricity sector has undergone significant structural and policy reforms, including the unbundling and privatisation of generation and distribution assets and the enactment of the Electricity Act, 2023, which decentralised aspects of electricity regulation and expanded the role of subnational governments. Despite these reforms, persistent challenges in electricity supply, planning efficiency, and investment outcomes remain. Policymakers continue to explore strategies to strengthen institutional coordination, improve data-driven decision-making, and build local capacity within the sector. On 21 January 2026, the Honourable Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, publicly called for stronger collaboration between the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The Minister emphasised that enhanced coordination, particularly through shared research efforts and harmonised data gathering, would support local production of electricity components such as meters and turbines, reduce dependence on imports, and conserve foreign exchange. He further highlighted the challenge posed by fragmented data availability, noting that effective sector planning depends on access to accurate, comprehensive, and timely information. In response, the Ministry of Power disclosed plans to establish a central power sector data pool, with the ECN identified as a key institutional contributor. The Minister’s remarks draw attention to a broader policy issue concerning the adequacy of existing legal and institutional frameworks for sustained data sharing, coordinated research, and integrated planning across Nigeria’s power sector. While agencies such as the ECN and REA possess complementary statutory mandates relating to energy planning, research, and rural electrification, there is limited clarity on the formal mechanisms through which their data, research outputs, and planning tools are systematically aligned. Available evidence suggests that coordination largely depends on administrative directives and ad hoc arrangements rather than clearly defined statutory obligations, creating risks of duplication, underutilisation of research outputs, and gaps in long-term sector planning. The National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility for law-making, oversight, and policy harmonisation, particularly in sectors that are central to economic growth and national development. While executive directives can initiate collaboration, durable and predictable coordination often requires legislative backing to define responsibilities, set standards, and establish accountability mechanisms. Legislative engagement would also enable clarification of overlaps or gaps in institutional mandates and ensure consistency with the decentralised framework introduced by the Electricity Act, 2023. 2 www.nils.gov.ng Accordingly, the National Assembly, through the House Committee on Power, may consider the following actions: 1. Invite the Minister of Power, ECN, REA, NERC, and other relevant stakeholders to provide briefings on existing data-sharing arrangements, coordination challenges, and areas requiring legislative clarification or support 2. Consider a targeted amendment to the Electricity Act 2023 to explicitly mandate structured inter-agency data sharing, coordinated research, and formal participation of ECN, REA, NERC, and other relevant agencies in sector-wide planning. Such an amendment would ensure that data and research outputs are systematically incorporated into national electricity planning and decision-making. 3. Include provisions in any amendment or supplementary legislation to establish a clear governance framework for a central power sector data repository, including defined institutional roles, reporting obligations to the National Assembly, and safeguards for data quality, confidentiality, and interoperability 4. Strengthen legislative oversight by requiring periodic briefings from sector institutions on how shared data and coordinated research inform policy decisions, infrastructure investments, decentralised electricity development, and local manufacturing initiatives. The Minister’s call for stronger synergy between the Energy Commission of Nigeria and the Rural Electrification Agency highlights an opportunity to consolidate ongoing reforms through clearer institutional alignment. By exercising focused oversight and refining the legal framework where necessary, the National Assembly can help ensure that data governance and research coordination are anchored in durable statutory provisions rather than discretionary administrative practices. Such measured legislative engagement will support evidence-based planning, enhance sector transparency, and contribute to more consistent and accountable governance of Nigeria’s electricity sector.