Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has declared that eligible power consumers are now free to purchase electricity directly from power generation companies.
By declaring eligible customers, the minister has empowered the consumer to buy electricity directly from licensees other than the power distribution companies, a development that the Discos recently opposed.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Friday stated that Fashola declared four categories of eligible customers in the Nigerian electricity supply industry on May 15, 2017, describing the declaration as a major policy directive in the industry.
In a statement issued in Abuja, NERC said, “The declaration, which permits electricity customers to buy power directly from the generation companies, is in line with the provisions of Section 27 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, whereby eligible customers are permitted to buy power from a licensee other than the electricity distribution companies.
In exercising the power conferred on him by the said Act, the minister directed the commission to permit four categories of customers to buy power directly from the Generating companies.