Julius Chukwuemeka, Commissioner for Power and Water Resources in Anambra State, has expressed strong optimism about the future of the power sector in the State.
He made the disclosure in Awka on Monday while noting that the State is strategically positioned to achieve stable, affordable, and greener electricity supply in the near future.
Chukwuemeka, also a member of the Anambra Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Council, emphasised the critical role of power in economic growth and industrialisation, especially in a State like Anambra State with vast industrial potentials.
“No industry can thrive without access to electricity,” he noted, adding that the Governor Charles Soludo Administration has laid a solid foundation for an energy revolution that would soon see Anambra enjoy round-the-clock power supply sourced through affordable and eco-friendly means.
According to him, the passage of the Nigerian Electricity Act in 2023 marked a pivotal turning point for the sector, as it granted State Governments the constitutional backing to establish and regulate their own electricity markets.
He disclosed that the State had not only keyed into this development but is already ahead of many States in implementation.
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“In Anambra, we’ve already passed our own Electricity Law, and Mr Governor has graciously assented to it. That law now empowers us to regulate power generation, distribution, and consumption within our boundaries,” he said.
He highlighted the growing adoption of solar energy across the State, noting that many households and even small businesses such as barber shops now power their operations using solar systems.
He described this trend as a “green energy revolution” gradually transforming the state’s energy landscape.
Chukwuemeka disclosed that proposals are being received from investors and developers interested in converting Anambra’s large volume of waste into bioenergy.
“Given that Anambra has one of the highest population densities in the country after Lagos, the volume of waste generated daily could become a significant source of power through waste-to-energy conversion technologies.
“Instead of being an environmental nuisance, our waste can be turned into an economic and energy asset. There are proposals on the ground to aggregate and sort our waste for conversion into biodiesel and other forms of clean energy,” he explained.
He reiterated that Anambra is on the rise and fast becoming a model for sub-national power sector reform in Nigeria.
He praised Governor Soludo’s visionary leadership and expressed confidence that with the new legal frameworks, institutional structures, and policy roadmap in place, the State’s electricity sector would witness exponential transformation.
“With this new law, the regulatory agency that is coming on board, and with the private sector partnerships we are facilitating, I am confident that in the very near future, Ndi Anambra will enjoy more stable, affordable, and cleaner power supply, and that will change everything, for our dear State and for our own good as Ndị Anambra,” he noted.
He announced that the Anambra Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC), an independent body that would oversee the State’s electricity sector, would be officially unveiled in the coming weeks, following recent approvals by the Anambra State Executive Council.
The Commissioner explained that the new Commission would take over regulatory responsibilities from the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and would be responsible for licensing operators across multiple energy blocks within the State.
