Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has declared his administration’s ambition to make Bayelsa an energy hub, not just for the South-South but for the entire country.
Governor Diri stated this on Thursday, October 1, 2026, in Yenagoa at the inaugural launch and founding session of the Bayelsa Energy Research Consortium (BERCo), organized by the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency (BYERA) in partnership with the German Government through GIZ.
The event, themed “Powering Bayelsa through Research, Innovation and Partnership,” is a new platform for evidence, innovation and collaboration focused on Research, Innovation, Capacity Development and Practical Energy Solutions. The launch coincided with the 30th anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State.
The Governor used the occasion to inform Bayelsans that they no longer need to travel to Abuja for German visa applications, as Bayelsa falls under the jurisdiction of the German Consulate in Lagos.
“This is an opportunity for us to let our people know, if you want a German visa you don’t need to go to Abuja, go to Lagos, particularly now that we have the Consul General as our friend and as our brother,” Diri said.
“So Ambassador Krull, you will be seeing more Bayelsans coming for visa to Germany,” he added.
Diri stressed that research is the bedrock of development and charged researchers to be studious.
“Without research there is no development. I urge you the researchers to be very studious, to be researchers in the real sense of it so that at the end of the day Bayelsa will become an energy hub,” he said.
The governor commended the partnership with the German Government through GIZ, which he said is equivalent to USAID, recalling how a similar partnership with South Korea led to the donation of a rice mill now milling rice for the state.
“And so with GIZ, an agency that we cannot ignore, it means that from now on we will hold you on your legs and we will hold our friend the Ambassador on his own legs. Like Oliver Twist, we will come for more,” he said.
In his remarks, the German Consul General in Lagos, Mr. Daniel Krull, described Bayelsa as one of the richest states in Nigeria, not only in oil and gas and natural resources, but most importantly in smart, energetic and fast-moving brains.
“You can trust in me that whenever you want to include more qualified institutions from Germany, don’t hesitate to reach out to me,” he assured.
The Consul General narrated how people in Lagos questioned his decision to visit Bayelsa, describing it as the smallest state.
“I said yes, you are right, this might be one of the smallest states in Nigeria, but it is one of the richest, not only in oil and gas, not only in natural resources, not only in fertile land and agricultural potential, but most importantly, very smart and very energetic, very fast-moving brains. And I think today is a proof that this also applies in particular to the energy sector,” he said.
Krull disclosed that the German Government and the European Union had decided to support decentralization in Nigeria’s energy sector and that Bayelsa was selected based on merit, following the commitment shown by BYERA.
“Don’t get me wrong, this was not based on someone knowing somebody, but it was very much based on merit,” he stressed.
He said Germany can bring expertise to Bayelsa, having faced a severe energy crisis due to the Russian war against Ukraine, which forced it to reinvent its energy strategy from dependence on cheap Russian gas to alternative solutions.
On the importance of the research consortium, he said: “Data is not everything, but without data, everything is nothing.”
He urged the research community not to work in silos and encouraged integration of agriculture and solar farming.
Earlier in her presentation on “Why BERCo and Why Now,” the Director General of BYERA, Dr. Rosalyn Dressman, disclosed that in 13 months, the agency has built the core of a functioning state electricity regulator.
“In 13 months we have built the core of a functioning state electricity regulation. We started 21st of August 2025. We have 16 schedules in the licensing and market entry regulation book. We have issued our first license. We have three flagship public stakeholder events. We have created digital support and complaint platform for consumers,” she said.
Dr. Dressman explained that Bayelsa moved from interstate to intrastate regulation following the Electricity Act 2023, the Bayelsa State Electricity Law 2025, and the NERC Transfer Order which took effect on August 21, 2025, establishing BYERA as the intrastate regulator.
She said the agency has moved from governance to operations and is now in the technical capability phase, with its mandate translated into six operational lanes: Licence and Permits, Tariff and Services, Metering and Standards, Consumer Protection, Compliance and Enforcement, and Data Planning and Investment.
She stressed that under the Bayelsa State Electricity Law 2025, the consumer is king, disclosing that the agency has developed an Energy Calculator and a trackable complaint portal to protect consumers, as well as issued its first licence to the Bayelsa Electricity Distribution Company.
On the data challenge, she said Bayelsa’s major problem is lack of data to onboard investors, which BERCo will address as the evidence engine for better regulation and investment through an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
Dressman revealed that the IRP, projected to cost over $1.5 million, was secured through the intervention of the First Lady of Bayelsa State and the German Consul General who linked BYERA to GIZ,
Also speaking, an official of GIZ, Dr. Akpolo, announced that Bayelsa is now the first among the five states selected for comprehensive support under the agency’s current electricity programme.
“To be very honest with you, I already selected the five states, Bayelsa was not part of the five states. But I am happy to announce today that as of last week, Bayelsa made it to the first of the five states,” he announced, commending the DG for her persistence.
He said GIZ in its third phase, is supporting asset management, mapping of MV lines, village and socio-economic studies, policy and regulations.
“We are supporting asset management. We have mapped the MV lines across the state. We are also conducting studies, village and socio-economic studies,” he said, adding that the programme is supported by the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency and aligned with the National Integrated Electricity Policy.
He said GIZ will support Bayelsa with BIPV regulations, comprehensive mapping of natural energy resources including gas and solar, and a stakeholder and public education plan for BYERA, as well as a review of the electricity law to make it more investment-friendly.
Earlier, In his welcome address, the Chairman of BYERA, Engr. Austin Adigio, expressed gratitude to Governor Diri for seizing the historic opportunity created by the Electricity Act of 2023.
“The Act liberalized Nigeria’s electricity market and returned power to the states. While others were still studying it, Your Excellency, you acted. You established BYERA and challenged us to secure Bayelsa’s energy destiny. Sir, this gathering is a direct dividend of your action,” he said.
Adigio described the presence of the German Consul General as strategic, signaling that Bayelsa’s energy challenge is a global opportunity for partnership, climate action and investment.
“Bayelsa is blessed with abundant gas, sun and water, yet many of our riverine communities remain in darkness. The old centralized model did not serve us. We must now craft our own solution which His Excellency has boldly championed,” he said.
He explained that the consortium will be guided by five pillars: Research for Solution, Partnerships for Progress, Innovation for Communities, Evidence for Investment, and a Sustainable Bayelsa Energy.
“This will not be research for the shelves. It will be research that will power businesses in Yenagoa, light up the clinics in Oporoma, power the institutions in Sampou and drive clean growth in Brass and ultimately turn our flared gas into prosperity for our people,” he assured.
