Edo: Expert Seeks State Electricity Regulator to Tackle Monopoly

Peter Uzoho 

Worried by the continuous monopoly of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and its inability to deliver reliable power supply in Edo State, an energy expert and Lead Consultant to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Mr. Odion Omonfoman has called on Governor Monday Okphebholo to immediately set up the Edo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ESERC).

Omonfoman argued that the legal foundation for establishing ESERC already exists as the Edo State Electricity Law 2025 creates and gives powers to the ESERC to license and regulate all aspects of the electricity value chain – from generation, transmission and distribution – within Edo State. 

In a statement, the NGF consultant stated furthermore that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has already issued the order to transfer regulatory oversight to the state.

“Edo State has the law; Edo State has the federal clearance. What is outstanding is to institute the ESERC —the “engine room” to bring the Edo State Electricity market to life”, Omonfoman said.

Reiterating the need to break the electricity monopoly in the state through regulation, he noted that the primary grievance of electricity customers in Edo State and nationwide was the lack of choice of electricity service providers. 

He recalled that prior to the Electricity Act (EA) 2023, distribution companies (Discos) such as BEDC operated as electricity monopolies within their franchise areas. 

According to him, in the absence of competition, DisCos operate a service model that incentivise the distribution of darkness, rather than electricity. 

He lamented that for decades, the promise of industrialisation and shared prosperity in Edo State has been hamstrung by a single, systemic bottleneck: the lack of reliable, affordable electricity.

Omonfoman stated that the persistent cries of citizens of the state—recently echoed in the protests at Ring Road, which Okpebholo remarkably joined in solidarity—were not just about darkness but about the stifling of small businesses, the high cost of living, and the frustration of an electricity monopoly that has long outlived its efficacy and necessity.

“While the Governor’s solidarity with protesters against the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) is commendable, political empathy must now transition into firm policy and regulatory action”, he said. 

According to him, the path to breaking the BEDC monopoly and lighting up Edo State lie in the immediate and effective constitution of ESERC.