New electric bill to allow states, companies, others to generate electricity

President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, into law.

The bill authorizes states, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, and also repeals the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) which was signed by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.

The bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives on July 27, 2023, and the Senate on November 14, 2023, was sponsored by Honourable Babajimi Benson, who represents Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

The Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to address the development and environmental concerns of host communities, and sets aside five percent of the actual annual operating expenditures of power generating companies (GENCOs) from the preceding year for the development of their respective host communities.

The Bill further provides that the funds set aside for the development of host communities will be received, managed, and administered for infrastructure development in the host communities by a reputable Trustee/Manager to be jointly appointed by the respective GENCO and their host community.