NERC, EMS Differ over Certification of Power Sector

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Electric Management Services Limited are heading to a battle for supremacy over who has the final authority and mandate to do other technical inspections and certification in the power sector.

While the regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) insists that it is empowered by the Electric Sector Reform Act of 2005, the Electric Management Services Limited ( EMS) insists that Electricity Inspectorate Services (EIS) of the Ministry of Power was transferred to it in 2013, thereby giving it the powers of technical inspections and certification.

At a public hearing on the Commissions draft Nigerian Electricity supply and Installation Standards (NESIS) Regulation put together by NERC in Abuja Tuesday, officials from both organizations argued over if there was a gap in the EPRS or not.

Sam Amadi, chairman of NERC, took particular exceptions to the Nigeria Electricity Management Service Authority (NEMSA) bill at the National Assembly, describing it as an attempt to create two regulators for the sector.

On their part, officials of EMS said it was not in the place of NERC to climb electric poles to enforce standards