NASS: States in Nigeria are now closer to generating and distributing electricity locally following the passage of the Electricity Bill 2022 by the Senate, Nigeria`s upper legislative House.

The passage of the Bill by the House was made possible following the successful third reading of the Bill, after the committee stage.

The report on the Bill from the senate committee on power was considered clause by clause by the senators at plenary after which it was immediately passed by the member present and voting.

In his submissions during the report consideration, the committee chairman, Senator Gabriel Suswan from Benue State provided insights into the benefits of the Electricity Bill 2022.

Senator Suswan explained that the Electricity Bill 2022 aims to provide the required legal framework for maximizing the privatization of the electricity sector in Nigeria.

The senator further disclosed that the Bill will create the possibility for component Nigerian states to generate and distribute power within their states.

This according the senator will help solve challenges of power availability in the country.

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Speaking further, Suswan said, “Since electricity is on the concurrent list in the constitution, the bill has allowed state governments to license people who intend to operate mini-grids within the states,” he said.

In his own remarks, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan said, “because of its importance and sensitivity, we will like to see a quick concurrence by the house of representatives.

“This is because time is of the essence as far as Nigeria is concerned when you talk about electricity and energy supplies in Nigeria.

“So, we will like to see that this bill is fully processed in the national assembly and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration and assent by the president.

“We believe that this piece of legislation can change the fortunes of the electricity industry in Nigeria for the better”.