By Emma Akpabio
When Akwa Ibom State convened its landmark Electricity Summit in Ikot Ekpene in September 2025, Governor Umo Eno made it clear that the era of endless discussions about power challenges must give way to decisive action.
The summit, which brought together regulators, investors, development partners and industry experts, adopted a roadmap aimed at ending the state’s electricity challenges through a decentralized, state-managed electricity market. Central to that roadmap was the establishment of a credible state electricity regulator to drive reforms and oversee the emerging electricity market.
Less than nine months later, that commitment has taken concrete form with the inauguration of the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission (AKSERC), one of the earliest and most significant milestones outlined in the summit’s implementation framework.
At the summit, Governor Eno declared that the state’s priority was no longer merely to discuss electricity reform but to focus on “turning policy into projects, projects into megawatts, and megawatts into jobs and opportunities.” The inauguration of AKSERC is arguably the strongest evidence yet that the administration is determined to translate that vision into reality.
The State Electricity Action Programme adopted at the summit established a three-phase roadmap spanning ten years. Phase I covering the first two years, focuses on establishing AKSERC, recovering available generation capacity and operationalizing a state electricity distribution company. Phase II, between years two and five, seeks to license captive utilities, scale mini-grids and enable their interconnection with the state distribution network. Phase III, spanning years five to ten, aims to introduce wholesale electricity competition, expand regional power trade and position Akwa Ibom as a net participant in the broader electricity market.
The inauguration of AKSERC directly fulfills one of the foremost objectives of Phase I and represents the institutional foundation upon which the state’s electricity reforms will rest.
To support the reforms, the administration secured the passage of the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Law, 2025, creating the legal framework for the state’s electricity market and positioning Akwa Ibom to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Electricity Act, 2023.
Beyond establishing the commission, the government has incorporated Ibom Electricity Holding Limited IEHL, to manage state electricity assets and investments, commenced efforts to regularize the state’s interests in Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, and begun preparations for the establishment of a dedicated Akwa Ibom State Electricity Distribution Company.
At the inauguration ceremony, Governor Eno charged the pioneer commissioners to justify the confidence reposed in them by delivering a transparent, efficient and investor-friendly regulatory regime capable of protecting consumers while driving growth in the electricity sector. He also tasked them with working towards the delivery of regular electricity supply to Akwa Ibom people within the next eighteen months.
What makes the inauguration particularly significant is that it demonstrates a government following through on its own blueprint. Too often, major summits produce ambitious communiqués that are eventually forgotten. In this case, however, one of the summit’s key resolutions has moved from paper to practice in less than a year.
For Akwa Ibomites, this reflects a defining characteristic of the Umo Eno- led administration: a preference for implementation over rhetoric. From securing the legal framework for electricity reform to establishing the institutions required to drive it, the government has shown consistency in pursuing the objectives it set for itself at the 2025 Electricity Summit.
While significant work still lies ahead, the inauguration of AKSERC offers tangible proof that the journey towards a reliable and sustainable electricity market has begun in earnest. It is a reminder that transformative reforms are built not only on vision but also on deliberate and measurable action.
For the people of Akwa Ibom, the message is clear: the promises made at the Electricity Summit are gradually being translated into reality. As the commission begins its work and the broader reform programme gathers momentum, residents have every reason to keep faith with the process and look forward with cautious optimism to a future of more reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity across the state.
— Newspot Nigeria
