The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has hosted a regional seminar for judges of the Lagos State High Court to deepen judicial understanding of the rapidly changing Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Speaking at the opening session on Monday, July 6, 2026, the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, explained that the commission has decentralized market oversight by transferring regulatory powers to sixteen states.
He noted that this transition has ushered in a new era of multi-level regulation, making it imperative for the judiciary to understand the intricate and technical nature of the power sector to better support national economic development.
Representing the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, the Solicitor-General of Lagos State, Hameed Oyenuga, praised the initiative.
He noted that the seminar provides a critical platform for judges to engage with power sector stakeholders, ensuring that future judicial decisions actively support rather than impede ongoing electricity reforms.
Echoing this sentiment, the Administrative Judge of the Lagos Judicial Division, Justice Atinuke Ipaye, who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, encouraged participating judges to engage robustly with industry experts to navigate the transitioning legal landscape effectively.
The seminar, themed “Nigeria’s Electricity Market in Transition: Law, Regulation and the Courts,” featured specialized presentations from key regulatory figures.
The NERC Commissioner for Legal, Licensing, and Compliance, Dafe C. Akpeneye, delivered a comprehensive paper on the legal and regulatory perspectives of transitioning into a decentralized electricity sector. This was followed by an address on tariff regulation within a decentralized market, presented by the NERC Vice Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Ali.
This Lagos engagement marks the formal launch of a nationwide series of regional seminars by NERC, all designed to enhance judicial capacity and foster a shared regulatory understanding across the Nigerian court system.