Market Structure Paradigms And Institutional Setting In The Nigerian Electricity Industry

ABSTRACT

This thesis examines the Market Structure Paradigms and the Institutional Setting in the Nigerian Electricity Industry. The main objective of this study is to examine and propose market structure that can achieve a production frontier that will produce efficient output and optimal price determination. The study also proposes the most appropriate institutional setting - market design that can ensure sustainable electricity supply and enhance consumers' welfare in Nigeria under the restructuring scenario.

This study, therefore, attempts to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent can the problem besetting the Nigerian power sector be attributed to sub-optimal pricing under an inappropriate institutional setting, formal organisational as against the informal organisation?

2. What should be the appropriate number of firms in the generation segment required to supply electricity efficiently? That is, what is the ideal market structure that will produce optimum production efficiency?

3. What is the optimal bidding strategy required for effective competition among the generators in dispatching electricity in Nigeria?

This study employs two complementary methods to accomplish its stated objectives. In the deregulated market, a partial equilibrium model was employed in the style of Coumot game to determine the appropriate market structure.