LAGOS – (FIC Lagos Report) – The Lagos State Government has promised to drive reliable energy delivery to residents of the State. The State Governor, Babajide Sanwu – Olu, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olalere Odusote (Dr) said that the present administration has realised the significant impact which a reliable, steady and safe energy supply can have on the welfare and economic wellbeing of the people.
According to him, he has to encourage the development and greater use of cleaner, safer and more suitable energy in the State. Adding, the Governor made the declaration during the 2019 Nigeria Resources Risk and Governance Summit with the theme: “Energy for Sustainable Economic Growth – Threats, Opportunities and Governance,” held in Lagos State.
While acknowledging the existing inadequacies in the supply of prepaid meters to the end-users, the Governor revealed that his administration is engaging intensely with the DisCos to drive reliable energy delivery to the citizens and to make meters available to them.This in his view would increase the willingness to pay, improve productivity, and more importantly continue to improve the living conditions of the Nigerian people.
The State Government, he said is desirous of promoting the wellbeing of the citizens and building a Lagos that is safe, clean and prosperous through the provision of efficient and sustainable policies to drive the operations of the energy sector in the State. He emphasised that to tackle the perennial shortage of energy supply in the State, the Governor disclosed that his administration has developed an Integrated Energy Resource Plan to review and expand existing high, medium and low voltage networks for the solar energy initiative for public schools and spaces as well as health and commercial centres. Adding, there will be other strategic public spaces like State Government facilities, public institutions, street-lighting installations and much more.
Sanwu-Olu further hinted that the creation and deployment of a Security Task Force for power and the establishment of specialist courts in key places to rapidly adjudicate cases. He stressed that Lagos State is keen on making the environment green and are not just willing to create the enabling environment for renewable energy technologies, but also in terms of the deployment of solar photovoltaic mini-grids, stand alone solar systems, wind energy technologies, biomass solutions and small hydro – solutions which are key to meeting the electricity demand of the State.
The Governor called on all stakeholders to make the sector more sustainable, as it requires huge capital outlay to finance. He expressed his desire to partner with Federal Government Institutions such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Rural Electrification Agency, among others.
In promising to extend power distribution to Lagos communities that are off-grid, he noted that his administration is ready to execute and replicate projects on infrastructure improvement, metering and tariff collection. This according to him will be implemented in pilot zones for a willing buyer – seller arrangement in partnership with private investors.
