Abuja, Nigeria — Senate President Godswill Akpabio has emphasized that members of the Nigerian Senate are not in office to enrich themselves but to make meaningful sacrifices that will benefit future generations.
Akpabio made the statement on Tuesday while addressing his colleagues during deliberations on the general principles of a proposed amendment to the Electricity Act, 2023. The bill, designed to tackle fresh challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector, was presented for second reading during plenary.
The legislation, officially titled the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 862), was sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power. It seeks to improve policy coordination between federal and state authorities, enhance sectoral financing, criminalize vandalism of power infrastructure, and redefine relationships with host communities across the power value chain.
In his contribution, Akpabio underlined the urgency of revamping Nigeria’s electricity system, stating that stable power is critical to national industrialization.
“Without electricity, there can be no meaningful industrial development,” he said. “People often assume we are here to accumulate wealth. What they don’t realize is that our role is to lay the groundwork for future progress through dedicated sacrifice.”
He added that the Senate remains committed to legislative solutions that will address Nigeria’s chronic power supply problems.
Following the debate, the bill passed its second reading and was referred to the Senate Committee on Power for more in-depth consideration. The committee has been tasked with reporting back in six weeks.
While presenting the bill, Senator Abaribe noted that it had undergone its first reading on June 25, 2025. He explained that the amendment is necessary to address key shortcomings identified since the original Electricity Act was implemented in 2023.
“The bill seeks to prevent jurisdictional conflicts between federal and state regulators by strengthening legal clarity,” Abaribe explained. “It also aims to introduce criminal penalties for vandalism of critical infrastructure, streamline labour relations in the sector, and provide a new framework for subsidy management through the Power Consumer Assistance Fund.”
Other key elements of the bill include refining how host communities engage with power operators, improving the legal framework of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), and clarifying ambiguities in the current law to facilitate smoother implementation across the board.
By Enoch Odesola | July 9, 2025
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