Lagos State to intervene in providing electricity to citizens

The Lagos state government has announced that it is going to intervene in providing electricity to th,e citizens by deepening its partnership with stakeholders in the electricity value chain through its “Light up Lagos” project.

Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos, revealed this to journalists through his Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo at a press briefing organised at the Lagos Energy Academy, in Ikeja, on Monday.

“The intention of the Light up Lagos project is to provide power to all the nooks and crannies of Lagos state. This means that the state was moving away from Independent Power Projects (IPP), to having the government work with stakeholders to provide power for the state.”

He clarified that the ‘Light up Lagos’ project is not only about powering street lights. “Street lightening is just a small component of the light up Lagos initiative.

Lagos State governor inaugurated an advisory committee made up of critical stakeholders in the electricity value chain on December 9 with the mandate to light up every nook and cranny of the state.

The stakeholders includes chief executives, directors and management of the two power distribution companies in Lagos, Eko and Ikeja,  power generating companies, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), power plants,  Attorney general of the State and private investors.

Giving details about the partnership, Oluwo stated that “Lagos State government is not the one to generate, we are not distributing and we are not the ones to supply the gas that will power the generation companies.

“What it means is that the other stakeholders who have bought the power assets following the privatization programme of the Federal government are the ones that will make this happen. But the Lagos State having been elected by the people of Lagos State, has a responsibility to ensure that while the private sector people are setting out to implement their roll out plans the government must be with them as partners to ensure that if there are bottle necks, or we have bureaucracy that is disturbing them we can help them to demolish it – that is what this partnership is about.”

 “Light up Lagos,” is a turnkey policy of Lagos State government to deliver constant, safe and reliable energy to the metropolis by powering homes, businesses and public facilities to improve socio-economic development of the state.

Through this initiative major roads in Lagos from Berger to Lekki have been powered with street lights using renewable energy or in the case of Third Mainland Bridge, through six diesel powered generators.

Journalists were also taken to Seme community, an 18 kilometer border town between Lagos and Benin Republic that was not connected to the national grid and has not seen power for all of 16 years.

The commissioner was conducted round several abandoned electricity infrastructure sites from Baji bridge to Seme, most were in a state of disrepair, others looked like they have been vandalized.

A resident of the community who gave his name as Rashida said, “You have to come to our rescue, we are tired of generators.”

BusinessDay inquiry revealed that the community have not seen power supply for the 16 years. The residents power their businesses and homes through generators.

Receiving the team from Lagos that included Olawale Oluwa, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy, Eng. Olujimi Hotonu, Peter Okonji General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, Special Assistant to the Governor, Deji Williams, at his office, the Area Comptroller, Seme Border, Victor Dimka, said they are very elated with the visit by the Lagos state government and promised to provide security assistance when the projects commences.

At the town hall meeting with the commissioner and the community at Sultan Beach hall, hosted by Sejiro James, the traditional ruler of the community, Ibrahim Layole, member of the House Assembly representing constituency one, narrated the sorry tales of the community who have had to be without power supply for 16 years. He promised that any request for funds towards the project will be expeditiously approved.

The Executive Secretary of Badagry Local Government Development Association, Joseph Agoro said, “For the past 16 years, businesses have been suffering due to lack power supply. We commend the governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode for keeping his campaign promise to the people of Badagry West, Local government.”

Oluwo said that while it is the duty of the discos to power the communities but since they have not done so, government has a duty to the people. He assured the audience that the 32 communities billed to benefit from the state government’s intervention will see work on the project commence soon.

ISAAC ANYAOGU