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₦101.5 MILLION RECOVERED AS ONDO STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATOR DELIVERS REAL CONSUMER VICTORY
The Ondo State Electricity Regulatory Bureau (OSERB) has reported the recovery of ₦101.5 million in refunds for electricity consumers following regulatory reviews of overbilling practices during the 2025/2026 operational year.
The intervention represents a significant milestone in subnational electricity governance and consumer protection within Nigeria’s evolving decentralized power sector framework.
The refunds arose from formal billing audits conducted by the Bureau’s Consumer Affairs Department in relation to customer complaints involving BEDC Electricity Ondo Limited (BEOL), the state-licensed electricity distribution and retail provider.
BEOL operates under a regulatory mandate issued by OSERB in alignment with constitutional provisions that empower Nigerian states to oversee electricity markets within their jurisdictions.
According to OSERB’s Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Stephen Olugbenga Bolawole, FNSE, the recovery outcomes were presented during a management review session and reflect targeted enforcement actions to uphold billing transparency and consumer rights.
The distribution of recovered funds covered all three senatorial districts of the state: ₦99.7 million in Ondo Central, ₦1.5 million in Ondo North, and ₦237,000 in Ondo South.
Bolawole emphasized that consumer protection remains a central pillar of the Bureau’s regulatory mandate, noting that proactive oversight is essential to building trust and ensuring accountability in a transitioning electricity market.
Beyond billing regulation, OSERB highlighted measurable progress in electricity infrastructure development.
The Bureau’s Engineering and Performance Monitoring Department reported facilitating 72 independent power and mini-grid projects across the state’s senatorial districts, representing an aggregate generation capacity of approximately 136mW megawatts.
These initiatives are expected to enhance distributed supply resilience, support local economic activity, and improve access to reliable electricity in underserved communities.
Complementing these efforts, the Bureau’s Equipment Standards and Competency Certification unit confirmed the successful grid integration of 11 distribution transformers rated between 300 kVA and 500 kVA at 11 kV.
The installations are designed to relieve localized network constraints and improve service reliability at the distribution level.
OSERB attributed the progress recorded to the supportive regulatory and policy environment fostered by the Ondo State Government.
The Bureau acknowledged the leadership of Governor Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, FCA, describing state-level backing as instrumental in enabling regulatory enforcement, infrastructure expansion, and sector modernization.
Energy policy observers note that Ondo State’s regulatory outcomes illustrate the practical benefits of decentralized electricity governance, particularly in consumer protection, infrastructure facilitation, and performance oversight.
As Nigeria continues implementing reforms that grant states greater regulatory autonomy, the OSERB model offers insights into how localized institutions can strengthen accountability while accelerating sector development.
The Bureau has indicated that it will continue expanding compliance enforcement, infrastructure facilitation, and technical standards oversight to ensure sustained improvements in electricity service delivery across Ondo State.
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