The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government have reached an agreement to work together to implement the energy zones programme, starting with a pilot rollout in Lagos. This initiative aims to provide uninterrupted power supply within the Lagos corridor. The agreement was made during a high-level technical session at the Lagos House, Marina, between the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the 24/7 Energy Zones programme, which involves dedicated corridors across the country being supplied with uninterrupted electricity. This is part of a comprehensive strategy to improve access and stability of power supply. The programme will start in Lagos and extend to the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors, with plans to scale across Nigeria's major commercial and industrial hubs.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, stated that the Ministry had engaged and secured commitments from distribution companies to offtake more power and deliver steady and reliable electricity to customers along the Lagos corridor. He expressed his readiness to work with Lagos on the four ministerial priority areas approved by the President, including grid stabilization, market liquidity, grid expansion, and governance and regulatory harmonization.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the federal delegation for its seriousness, noting that since becoming Minister, Tegbe has shown a willingness and capacity to resolve lingering issues in the sector. The Governor stressed the need to work out pragmatic solutions to make the sector work for Nigerians, particularly Lagosians, creating a bankable, collaborative, and competitive electricity market in Lagos.
To move from commitment to delivery, Tegbe announced the constitution of a joint technical committee to address knotty issues and propose next steps. The committee is chaired by the Managing Director of Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Ministry of Energy, with members drawn from various organizations, including NERC, TCN, REA, LASERC, LAISO, and LSEA.
The technical committee will report to a steering committee chaired by the Governor and co-chaired by the Minister of Power, with members including the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Power, and Lagos State Commissioner for Energy. Other senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Power and Lagos State Government were present at the meeting.
The collaboration between the Federal Government and Lagos State aims to create a model for sustainable and reliable power supply in Nigeria. The 24/7 Energy Zones programme has the potential to improve the quality of life for Nigerians and support economic growth. Key stakeholders are optimistic about the prospects of this initiative, given the commitments from both the federal and state governments.
Key points
- The Federal Government and Lagos State have agreed to collaborate on the 24/7 Energy Zones programme to provide uninterrupted power supply in Lagos.
- The programme aims to improve access and stability of power supply across Nigeria's major commercial and industrial hubs.
- A joint technical committee has been set up to address knotty issues and propose next steps for the implementation of the programme.
