- FCCPC and NERC address Nigeria’s electricity problems
- The collaboration is for the proper implementation of structural changes
- NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba, says the partnership reduces friction among regulatory agencies.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address the country’s ongoing complaints from electricity consumers. The agreement aims to create a single dedicated channel through which consumers can lodge complaints and receive prompt responses.
Mr Babatunde Irukera, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of FCCPC, stated at the event that the move was made to avoid inter-agency conflicts. He added that the approach would also seek to change the sector’s operational structures to reduce customer complaints. Irukera, who stated that the commission was resolving more consumer complaints than ever before, also noted that consumer dissatisfaction had increased.
He stated, “The fact that people are complaining more now indicates a healthy resolution mechanism and trust in it. The disadvantage is that we continue to receive complaints about the same issues. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that there have been some significant structural changes in how businesses operate and how the sector delivers its services.”
NERC Chairman Sanusi Garba previously stated that the agency’s new complaints resolution platform would help reduce friction among regulatory agencies. He noted that the agreement was made to consolidate areas of cooperation between the two organizations “so that we don’t have two regulators competing. There are benefits to collaboration and the synergy that can be derived from it.”