On June 11, 2025, Spaces for Change’s | S4C’s advocacy visit to Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) culminated into opened doors for collaboration and joint efforts to improve electricity access, regulation, and governance in Imo State. During the visit, the S4C 4-person delegation met with the Chairman and Secretary of the Commission, and learned more about the Commission’s goals and achievements while exploring opportunities for collaboration especially in promoting inclusive and eco-friendly electricity governance in Imo State.
On the other part, Commission executives also learned more about the organization’s history and 13-year long advocacy across the Niger Delta. S4C has facilitated dialogues that created spaces for local communities to get involved in legal and policy processes as well as engage directly with government institutions for the first time. S4C has continued to provide direct legal empowerment and free legal representation to individuals, groups and communities affected by urban deprivation, environmental degradation, shrinking civic space and other social and economic rights violations in Nigeria.
S4C and ISERC discussed the use of renewable energy in Imo State and the potential for expanding electricity access to the rural communities where energy poverty is rife. While many homes are embracing solar systems, large-scale investments in power are still difficult because investors want quick returns. In other cities in the South-East, like Aba, where there is high industrial activity but low electricity supply, access to power remains a major barrier to growth for small and medium-sized businesses. What ISERC has done is to provide a fair and encouraging regulatory environment where investors can be confident that their investments are safe and profitable.
To take good work to scale, S4C’s can deploy its research and policy expertise to provide contextually-relevant data that can inform ISERC’s efforts to improve access to energy in the state. In particular, Imo Climate Change Policy 2025 , under consideration for passage into state law, is one of the policy initiatives that will drive renewable energy investments in the state. S4C welcomed the opportunity to continue to provide evidence and policy advisory to relevant agencies, ensuring that local voices and marginalized perspectives, including their concerns are placed on the front burner of subnational climate targets and policy developments. Parties also discussed other priority areas of cooperation in the state, including plans to cohost an activity in Imo in commemoration of the World Energy Day in October. ISERC Chair thanked S4C for the visit, while the organization also appreciated the agency for the warm reception and insightful conversations.
