The federal and Lagos State governments have begun a joint initiative aimed at delivering round the clock electricity within the Lagos commercial corridor, with the pilot expected to provide a model for other major economic centers.
The initiative, known as the 24 hour Energy Zones pilot, is designed to address technical, financial and regulatory barriers affecting electricity supply. The federal government plans to extend the model to the Abuja Kaduna Kano and Enugu Port Harcourt corridors after lessons from Lagos are assessed.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe announced the initiative after a technical meeting with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu and senior officials at Lagos House, Marina. Tegbe said distribution companies serving Lagos had committed to take more electricity and work towards steadier supply for customers in the corridor.
He identified grid stabilization, market liquidity, grid expansion and regulatory coordination as the four priority areas approved by President Bola Tinubu for the partnership.
A Joint Technical Committee will identify outstanding problems and recommend immediate actions. The Managing Director of the Nigerian Independent System Operator will chair the committee, with the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Energy serving as co chair. Representatives of federal and state electricity institutions will also participate.
The technical body will report to a Steering Committee chaired by Sanwo Olu and co chaired by Tegbe. The arrangement is intended to coordinate institutions responsible for generation, transmission, distribution, market operations and regulation.
Sanwo Olu said Lagos was prepared to work with the federal government to develop practical solutions that could improve supply and support a competitive and financially sustainable electricity market. He said the value of the partnership would ultimately be measured by improvements experienced by consumers and businesses.
The Lagos pilot forms part of a broader effort to concentrate power sector interventions in defined economic corridors, test solutions to persistent bottlenecks and develop an approach that can be replicated elsewhere in the country.
