EDO GOVERNMENT SEEKS PRIVATE INVESTMENT TO BOOST ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
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By’ Balogun Ibrahim
The Edo State Government has stepped up efforts to attract private investments into its electricity market as part of plans to improve power supply across the state.
The state Commissioner for Power, Paul Usenbo, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, noting that ongoing regulatory reforms, independent power projects and strategic equity investments were expected to strengthen Edo’s position in the power sector.
He said the state’s electricity industry had witnessed significant policy and institutional reforms under Governor Monday Okpebholo, who will mark his second anniversary in office on Thursday.
According to Usenbo, the transition to state-level electricity regulation, licensing of private operators, increased generation capacity, metering programmes and strategic partnerships were designed to expand electricity access and stimulate industrial development.
He identified the state government’s acquisition of a 10 per cent equity stake in the proposed 100-megawatt power plant in Ologbo, negotiated with CCETC and First Bank, as a major milestone in its investment drive.
He explained that the arrangement would make Edo a shareholder in the project, with potential benefits including regular revenue, job creation and improved electricity supply to businesses and industries.
The Ologbo project also features a proposed 300-tonne-per-day liquefied natural gas facility, which Governor Okpebholo inaugurated through a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2026.
The project is expected to strengthen the state’s energy value chain and address the increasing electricity demands of industries.
Usenbo added that the government was also pursuing a proposed 200-megawatt independent power project in Edo North, alongside distributed generation and renewable energy investments aimed at expanding electricity supply across the state’s three senatorial districts.
He said, “Beyond Ologbo, the government is pursuing a proposed 200MW independent power project in Edo North, alongside distributed generation and renewable energy investments aimed at expanding supply and improving access across the state’s three senatorial districts.”
On regulatory reforms, the commissioner said the implementation of the Edo State Electricity Law 2024, signed by Okpebholo in February 2025, had established the framework for private-sector participation in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
He added that the establishment of the Edo State Electricity Regulatory Commission, following the state’s transition from the regulatory oversight of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, had strengthened its capacity to manage the electricity market.
According to him, 12 companies have received electricity generation and distribution licences under the new regulatory framework.
The companies include CCETC Ogua Energy Limited, GTL Power Limited, IZ Energy, Etin Power Limited, Edo North Electricity Limited, Mid-Western Bulk Electricity Company Limited, Tetracore Power Company Limited, Victoria Power and Infrastructure, New Hampshire Capital Limited, Hydra Energy Solutions Limited, Nigeria Bottling Company Limited and Halimatu Musa Hospital Limited.
The commissioner further disclosed that the ESERC had granted BEDC Electricity Edo Limited a six-month provisional operating licence, subject to regulatory requirements covering compliance, transparency, accountability and consumer protection.
He said the arrangement was part of efforts to create a more competitive and accountable electricity market in the state.
On metering, Usenbo said the Ministry of Power was implementing a mass metering programme, under which more than 30,000 meters had reportedly been deployed, while over 38,000 others had been allocated to the state under the first phase of the free metering initiative.
He added that the government was working towards establishing a meter assembly facility through a private-sector partnership, alongside a debulking programme designed to move communities from bulk electricity billing to individual customer accounts.
However, the effectiveness of the reforms will depend on the successful execution of the proposed projects, increased electricity generation, improved distribution infrastructure and more reliable power supply for households and businesses.
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