Akwa Ibom rolls out 10-year power reform roadmap

…targets electricity for all homes by 2034

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has unveiled a 10-year electricity reform roadmap aimed at delivering stable and quality power to all households in the state by 2034.

Speaking at the close of a two-day Electricity Summit held at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene, the governor said the reforms would be driven through collaboration with the private sector, federal authorities, development finance institutions, investors, and the people.

“We will work hard and purposefully to ensure that electricity availability will no longer be a barrier to growth in Akwa Ibom State. Industries will flourish, businesses will thrive, and homes will be powered,” Eno said.

As part of the plan, the governor announced the establishment of two regulatory bodies — the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulation Commission (AKSERC) to oversee tariffs, licensing, and monitoring, and the Akwa Ibom State Electrification Agency (AISEA) to expand access to underserved communities.

The boards of the agencies, he said, would be constituted within a month, with recruitment handled transparently through the ARISE Employment Portal.

He further disclosed that the state would rehabilitate and commercialise Ibom Power Company, set up the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Distribution Company, and launch the Akwa Ibom Electricity Market with majority state ownership.

On clean energy, Eno revealed plans to pilot renewable energy projects, with a target that at least 20 per cent of the state’s power supply would come from renewable sources within the next decade.

“These are not distant promises—they are immediate, measurable, and achievable at various times within the next 24 months or less,” he said.

The Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, and the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, earlier presented the roadmap to the governor at the summit.

The initiative aligns with the National Integrated Electricity Policy ratified by President Bola Tinubu in May, which seeks to unlock over $122 billion in investments and diversify Nigeria’s power sources in line with the Electricity Act 2023.

Olayinka Babatunde