FG PLANS 24-HOUR POWER ZONES IN LAGOS, ABUJA, KANO, OTHERS
Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second
BY; Sunmola Ganiyat
The Federal Government has commenced discussions with electricity distribution companies on plans to establish Energy Zones that will provide 24-hour electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries in major high-demand areas across Nigeria.
The initiative, announced by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, will initially target three major corridors: the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.
Tegbe held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of selected electricity distribution companies to discuss the proposed zones. His media aide, Adeola Adelabu, disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the Energy Zones are intended to address challenges at the distribution end of the electricity value chain and ensure that power generated and transmitted to the national grid reaches consumers more reliably.
Tegbe said the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power sector were not limited to generation and transmission, but also involved the ability of distribution companies to receive and effectively deliver available electricity to consumers.
“The constraint on the sector is not limited to generation and transmission but includes how much power is taken up and delivered at the distribution end,” the minister said.
He explained that the proposed Energy Zones would help unlock commercial and industrial electricity demand while improving the revenue and collection performance of distribution companies.
The Federal Government also plans to expand electricity infrastructure in areas with high demand, with the minister stressing that electricity supply capacity must increase alongside Nigeria’s growing economy.
The proposed zones are expected to prioritise areas where reliable electricity is particularly important for businesses, manufacturing and other productive activities.
However, the government has not yet announced a specific implementation timeline, the capacity to be supplied to the zones or the infrastructure investments required to achieve round-the-clock electricity.
The companies and energy firm represented at the meeting included Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Sahara Energy Group.
The initiative comes amid continuing concerns over the reliability of electricity supply and the capacity of distribution companies to deliver available power to consumers.
The Energy Zones plan forms part of Tegbe’s stated phased approach to addressing challenges in the power sector and is also linked to the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies reliable electricity as important to economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0