Yusuf Ali Ph.D. Vice Chairman / Commissioner, Economic Regulation

Dr. Yusuf Ali is the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Commissioner in charge of the Economic Regulation (ER) division. Dr. Ali was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Commission effective December 1, 2025. He brings a wealth of expertise in the Nigerian electricity market, national energy policy planning and management consulting to the Commission.

As the Commissioner - ER, Dr. Ali oversees the division within the Commission that is responsible for i) determining tariffs which promote investment while protecting consumer interests; ii) monitoring the electricity market to prevent abuse of market power; and iii) evaluation of commercial elements of all applications filed at the Commission.

Career at NERC

Dr. Ali’s leadership at the Commission began in February 2022, when he was first appointed as the Commissioner for the Planning, Research, and Strategy Division. During his tenure, he was instrumental in steering the division’s evolution into what is now the Research and Data Analytics Division, modernizing the Commission’s approach to evidence-based regulation and data-driven decision-making.

Professional Background

Between 2019 and 2022, Dr. Ali served as the Special Assistant to the President on Power Regulation within the Office of the Vice President. In this capacity, he was a key advisor to senior federal government officials, helping shape and implement transformative reforms within Nigeria’s power sector under the auspices of the Presidential Power Sector Coordination Working Group (PPSCWG) which was headed by the Vice President.

Prior to joining the office of the Vice President, Dr. Ali worked as a policy consultant in the Middle East practice of the Tony Blair Institute. In this role, he provided high-level support to leaders across the Middle East, guiding them through complex policy options across a diverse array of sectors. He started his career as a management consultant in the Nigerian office of McKinsey & Company from 2017 to 2019.

  Academic Background Dr. Ali holds the following academic qualifications in the fields of engineering and energy policy:

• PhD in Energy Policy focused on the Nigeria power sector: University of Cambridge
• M.Phil. in Nuclear Energy: University of Cambridge
• BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering: University of Manchester