Key points
- The Kano State House of Assembly passed the Kano State Electricity Bill 2026 to establish an independent state electricity regulatory agency.
- The legislation provides for a dedicated Managing Director and Governing Council with three-year terms to oversee state power operations.
- Lawmakers aim to attract local and foreign investment into independent power generation and localized distribution networks.
- The House also adopted an urgent public motion regarding rainstorm-induced damage and vandalism of power infrastructure in Madobi LGA.
Main story
The Kano State House of Assembly has formally adopted the Kano State Electricity Bill 2026, taking a major step toward establishing an independent power market and decentralizing energy management within the state.
The passage followed the consideration and approval of the recommittal bill during a Committee of the Whole session led by Speaker Jibril Ismail-Falgore. The legislation will now be transmitted to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for executive assent.
Briefing journalists after plenary, Majority Leader Lawan Hussaini explained that the bill establishes a specialized state electricity agency. Under the proposed framework, the agency will be headed by a Managing Director and governed by a multi-member council serving three-year tenures.
Hussaini noted that the regulatory body will focus on building an investor-friendly environment, lowering operational entry barriers to attract private capital for independent power generation and localized distribution. The state legislature expects the decentralized power framework to boost commercial productivity and industrial growth across Kano.
During the same sitting, the Assembly adopted a Motion of Urgent Public Importance raised by Mukhtar Ishaq, the lawmaker representing Madobi Constituency. The motion drew urgent attention to the widespread vandalism and severe structural damage inflicted on local electrical infrastructure following heavy downpours in Madobi Local Government Area, urging immediate intervention to restore power to affected communities.
The issues
Kano’s legislative move aligns with the broader wave of state-level electricity market reforms triggered by the Electricity Act 2023. By establishing an independent regulatory body, Kano joins other sub-national governments seeking to bypass the national grid’s structural instability. However, the long-term success of the state’s power agency will depend on its ability to guarantee cost-reflective tariffs, protect power assets from theft and weather disruption, and offer sufficient credit guarantees to lure private power producers.
What’s being said
“Once assented to by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the law will provide for the establishment of an electricity agency to be headed by a Managing Director and governed by a council whose members would serve a three-year term.” — Lawan Hussaini, Majority Leader, Kano State House of Assembly
“The proposed agency would create an enabling environment for local and foreign investors to participate in electricity generation and distribution, thereby boosting economic development in the state.” — Lawan Hussaini, Majority Leader, Kano State House of Assembly
What’s next
The Kano State House of Assembly will transmit the passed electricity bill to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his signature, paving the way for the official rollout of the state electricity agency and its governing council.
Bottom line
Kano State is laying the legal groundwork to control its power supply, leveraging legislative autonomy to pull in private power investments and secure industrial growth.
