Ajibike olusola Tunji Bello 
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, has called for stronger collaboration among electricity regulators to ensure consumers across Nigeria enjoy equal protection, irrespective of their location.
Bello made the call on Monday during a stakeholder engagement on consumer protection and regulatory cooperation in Nigeria’s electricity sector, held in Abuja.
He said the decentralisation of electricity regulation under the Electricity Act 2023, which empowers states to establish independent electricity regulatory commissions, makes cooperation among regulatory agencies more critical than ever.
According to him, electricity consumers regard the power sector as a single system and expect the same level of protection regardless of jurisdiction.
“When supply is interrupted or a bill appears incorrect, consumers are not concerned about which regulator has jurisdiction.
They simply expect protection. Ensuring that our institutions work seamlessly together is our responsibility, not theirs,” Bello said.
The FCCPC boss also revealed that the Commission recently halted the planned replacement of obsolete Unistar prepaid meters after concerns emerged that consumers could be compelled to bear the cost of new meters.
He explained that the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), suspended the exercise until all regulatory requirements are fully met.
According to Bello, the intervention was aimed at protecting consumers from paying for meter replacements, experiencing unnecessary power interruptions, or being subjected to estimated billing during the transition.
He noted that the decision is consistent with NERC’s Order on the Structured Replacement of Faulty and Obsolete End-user Customer Meters.
Bello stressed that regulators should focus on preventing consumer harm rather than merely resolving disputes after they occur. He also urged electricity distribution companies and other operators to comply with regulatory standards, address customer complaints promptly, and maintain transparency in their operations to boost public confidence in Nigeria’s electricity market.