AN APPRAISAL OF CONSUMER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE NIGERIA ELECTRICITY ACT 2023

DUM-OKOYE, OMASIRICHIM SONIA (2026) AN APPRAISAL OF CONSUMER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE NIGERIA ELECTRICITY ACT 2023. Other thesis, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.

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Abstract

The Electricity Act, 2023 seeks to reinvigorate the Nigerian electricity supply industry, introduce enhanced legal protections for electricity consumers and also articulate and impose the duties and obligations that consumers must fulfil. The background of the subject matter centres on the longstanding challenges within the Nigerian electricity supply industry, including inadequate metering, unreliable service delivery, opaque billing practices and weak consumer redress mechanisms. The Electricity Act, 2023 was enacted to provide a framework for generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity, and also incorporates provisions for enforcement of consumer rights and obligations. The aim and objectives of the study is to assess how effectively the Electricity Act, 2023 has codified consumer rights and obligations and to identify the loopholes and possibilities of enforcing those rights in practice. The Research Methodology used in the paper was Doctrinal/Conceptual/Library based legal research approach. The approach is purely qualitative, involving a descriptive analysis of the study and an expository examination of the paper under study. The findings reveal that the Electricity Act, 2023 explicitly advances consumer protection, clearly outlining rights such as access to reliable and safe electricity, the right to a functioning meter, transparent billing, notice of disconnection, complaint resolution and regulatory oversight. Consumers are equally obliged to allow meter installation, pay bills timely, protect installations from tampering, and comply with safety standards. However, the study identifies persistent gaps including, regulatory capacity constraints, low consumer awareness of rights, weak enforcement of service standards, and ongoing complaints about erratic supply and billing practices. Based on these findings, the recommendations call for: strengthening the regulatory capacity of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to monitor and enforce consumer standards effectively; promoting advanced metering infrastructure to ensure billing transparency; conducting widespread consumer education campaigns to enhance awareness of rights and responsibilities; establishing efficient complaint-handling mechanisms with measurable performance targets; and periodic evaluation of service performance and regulatory compliance.

Item Type: Thesis (Other)
Subjects: K Law > K Law (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Law
Depositing User: COMFORT AJALA
Date Deposited: 24 Jul 2026 11:59
Last Modified: 24 Jul 2026 11:59
URI: http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5945

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