President Bola Tinubu, on August 6, 2025, nominated a new CEO and commissioners for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to bolster Nigeria’s struggling power sector, which generates only 4,000 megawatts for 220 million people.
The nominees, announced in Abuja, aim to address a 60% electricity access gap and 15% tariff hike resistance, as 70% of households rely on generators costing $5 billion annually. The appointees, pending Senate confirmation, include a CEO with 20 years of energy expertise and four commissioners from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The move follows NERC’s 2024 reforms, which raised tariffs by 10% but failed to curb 40% transmission losses. Tinubu’s picks aim to implement the 2023 Electricity Act, decentralizing power to states, with Lagos generating 20% of its needs independently. Critics, including 30% of PDP leaders, argue the nominations favor APC allies, as 25% of past NERC appointees had party ties. The sector’s $2 billion investment gap, with only 15% of 2024 funds disbursed, underscores urgency, as 80% of businesses cite power as a top constraint.
Public support, at 60%, backs Tinubu’s push for 10,000 megawatts by 2027, but 50% of rural areas remain off-grid. The nominees face scrutiny over 20% corruption allegations in past NERC contracts, per EFCC data. Drawing on Kenya’s 70% electrification success, Tinubu’s selections test Nigeria’s ability to stabilize power, critical for its $1 trillion economy goal, amid 10% inflation and 25% unemployment.