●●● Signs Bill Unifying Judicial Officers’ Retirement Age to 70
Under the Act, states can issue licenses to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the state. However, the Act precludes interstate and transnational electricity distribution.
The Electricity Act 2023, stipulates that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will be able to regulate the electricity sector within Nigeria without prejudice to the powers of the states to make laws and create electricity markets within those states and to regulate those markets.
The Act mandates how NERC can transition regulatory responsibilities from itself to state regulators when they are established. Until a state has passed its electricity market laws, NERC will continue to regulate electricity business exclusively carried out in those states.
States such as Lagos, Edo and Kaduna that already have electricity market laws can start regulating their market. But NERC will regulate other states without such laws.
NERC will still carry out cross-border regulations – generation, and transmission across states will still be regulated by NERC.
The Act grants lawmakers the power to carry out oversight responsibilities and function over the NESI through its respective Committees on Power in the Senate and House of Representatives. This is to be carried out notwithstanding the supervisory powers of any government Ministry over government-owned enterprises or other entities operating in the Nigerian electricity supply industry.
Electricity generation licensees are obligated to meet renewable generation obligations as may be prescribed by NERC. Under the Act, electricity generating companies will be mandated to either generate power from renewable energy sources, purchase power generated from renewable energy or procure any instrument representing renewable energy generation.
Tinubu Signs Bill Unifying Judicial Officers’ Retirement Age to 70
Earlier, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, assented to a bill to extend the retirement age of judicial officers in the country from 65 years to 70 years.
The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No. 37) Bill, 2023,” was signed on Thursday, making it the first bill signed by Tinubu since assuming office on May 29.
A statement by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said Tinubu had pledged that his administration would strengthen the judiciary and empower judicial officers.
By this development, the retirement age of high court judges and others, have been aligned with the existing retirement age of justices of the appeal and supreme courts, which was already set at 70.