Akwa Ibom State has rolled out an ambitious 10-year electricity reform plan aimed at delivering uninterrupted power to all households and positioning the state as a model for energy transformation in Nigeria by 2034.
Governor Umo Eno made the announcement on Friday at the close of a two-day Electricity Summit in Ikot Ekpene, where he emphasized that the success of the programme would depend on strong partnerships with the private sector, investors, and federal agencies.
According to him, the government is determined to remove power shortages as a barrier to industrial growth and domestic comfort. “By 2034, every home in Akwa Ibom should enjoy reliable power supply,” he said, adding that businesses and industries would be major beneficiaries of the reforms.
As part of the roadmap, the state will set up the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulation Commission (AKSERC) to ensure fair tariffs, transparent licensing, and independent oversight, and the Akwa Ibom State Electrification Agency (AISEA) to extend electricity to rural and underserved communities. The governor also announced that recruitment for the agencies would be handled through the ARISE Employment Portal, assuring that only qualified technical professionals would be considered.
Other key initiatives include immediate rehabilitation and commercialisation of Ibom Power Company, establishment of the Akwa Ibom Electricity Distribution Company with the state retaining majority shares, launch of an Akwa Ibom Electricity Market to regulate transactions between power producers and distributors, and a renewable energy drive that will ensure at least 20% of the state’s future supply comes from clean sources like solar and wind.
Eno stressed that some of the projects would be rolled out within the next two years, noting that reforms were not just long-term promises but measurable actions.
The electricity agenda aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s recently ratified National Integrated Electricity Policy, which seeks to attract more than $120 billion in investments into Nigeria’s power sector between 2024 and 2045.
With this new plan, Akwa Ibom joins a growing list of states pursuing decentralised power solutions under the Electricity Act 2023, signalling a shift towards sustainable and state-driven energy reform in Nigeria.
