Taraba State government has commenced moves for the generation and distribution of electricity in the state using independent sources.
Constitutional amendments recently signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari allow states to make laws to generate, distribute and transmit electricity within their boundaries and those previously covered only by the national grid.
Grow your business with us
The law has been presented at the state House of Assembly for domestication as a law to enable the state to generate, transmit and distribute electricity to the people of the state.
The sponsor of the bill and member representing Mbamnga state constituency, Hon Peter Abel Diah in an interview said the move was necessitated by the availability of resources for the generation of electricity in the state.
Diah said the state is blessed with several sources of hydroelectric power which few out of the sources have been taken over by the federal government such as Kashimbila and Mambilla Dam.
“Some of my prayers in the bill include establishment of an entity to be known as Taraba State Electrification Agency which shall regulate the activities and the need to generate the electricity for rural consumption and development of small-scale industries in the state,” he said.
The bill which passed through its first reading is titled: “A Bill For Law To Make Provision For The Establishment Of The Taraba State Electricity And Its Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Within And For The Residents of Taraba State; And For Connected Purposes.”
The bill is known as “Taraba State Electricity Establishment Bill 2023” and provides for the establishment of the Taraba State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Taraba State Electricity Market, the Taraba State Electricity Agency and the Taraba State Electricity Fund when passed into law.
The commissioner for urban and rural development, Hon Peter Julius, when contacted on the bill said, if passed into law, the bill would assist in developing the state in the rural and urban areas.
He said the electricity generated by the state would assist large and small-scale businesses to remain in operation and boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).