According to Premium Times reporting, the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission (AKSERC) has issued a regulatory mandate establishing an October deadline for the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) to incorporate a state-specific operating subsidiary. The directive follows the formal transfer of intrastate power market oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the state body.
AKSERC Board Chairman Arit Uya clarified that the regulatory shift will not disrupt power distribution or trigger immediate tariff changes for local consumers. PHED will continue to manage distribution, metering, and customer billing during a transitional window scheduled to conclude by February 17, 2027. Existing payment channels, consumer meters, and service accounts remain fully valid.
Under the framework established by the Electricity Act 2023, the newly formed state subsidiary will manage localized assets, liabilities, and employee structures. AKSERC will progressively take over end-user tariff adjustments, dispute resolution, and local consumer protections, while NERC retains jurisdiction over national grid interconnections and cross-border energy transactions.
Channels TV verified the state regulatory framework, highlighting that “AKSERC confirmed PHED will maintain service delivery throughout the transition phase without immediate tariff increases”. Daily Post also confirmed the development, quoting state regulatory officials as declaring that “the transition marks the formal emergence of Akwa Ibom’s sub-national electricity market under the Electricity Act”.
Echotitbits take:
Decentralizing electricity regulation under the Electricity Act 2023 allows state governments to tailor power policies to local industrial and residential needs. If Akwa Ibom manages this transitional phase effectively, it could serve as a template for other states seeking to build viable, independent power markets that attract private generation investments.
Source: Premium Times – https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/904399-power-supply-akwa-ibom-electricity-regulator-sets-deadline-for-phed.html, August 21, 2026
Photo credit: Daily Post
