The Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ASERC) has granted an operational licence to the First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited (FPEDC) for electricity distribution in the state.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof Frank Okafor, issued an interim license to the company in Awka, on Thursday, to legalise their operation of power distribution in the state.
Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had issued an order of transfer of regulatory oversight of the electricity market in the state, after the October 9, 2025, inauguration of five professionals as commissioners to midwife the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Presenting the operating licence to FirstPower on Thursday, Okafor said the development is part of Governor Charles Soludo’s administration’s commitment to enhancing the state’s electricity infrastructure and promoting industrialisation.
According to him, “following the transfer, and in consideration of extant provisions of the Anambra State Electricity Law (the Law), 2025, particularly section 33 of the law, only companies issued with license under the law are authorised to participate in the new electricity market in Anambra state.
“However, some of these entities may already be rendering services to customers, which must not be disrupted due to a no-license status. Meanwhile, the process of regularisation of an existing license follows a procedure that is deliberately thorough.
“Therefore, the commission, after due consideration, passed a resolution to issue interim licences to companies licensed by NERC, and currently operational in the state, in order to legalise their operations in the state in line with the provisions of the law.
“One such delicate operator is First Power Electricity Distribution Company Limited, and consequently, the Commission has deemed it expedient to legalise its operations in the state by the issuance of an interim license.”
Earlier in his reaction, Managing Director of Firstpower Electricity Distribution Company, Okechukwu Okafor, said the licensing was to formalise the company’s presence and inform stakeholders that this is no longer EEDC in charge, but an independent body saddled with the responsibility of distributing electricity in Anambra.
Okafor said, “We are going to partner with the industrialists, the state government, and Ndi Anambra so that they will understand that our presence is geared towards a better solution to electricity.
“We want to change the narrative and target the customers to be happy. We need to take the message to them, provided there is goodwill. We hope that by the end of 2027, the billing rights of the customer will be metered for easy accountability.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune