By Ayomide Otitoju
The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government have agreed to collaborate on delivering stable and reliable electricity to the Lagos corridor under the 24/7 Energy Zones pilot approved by President Bola Tinubu.
The agreement was reached during a high-level technical meeting at Lagos House, Marina, between the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside senior officials from both governments.
The 24/7 Energy Zones pilot will commence in Lagos before expanding to the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors, with the aim of improving electricity supply across major commercial and industrial hubs.
Tegbe said the Ministry of Power had secured commitments from electricity distribution companies to increase power offtake and provide more reliable electricity to customers along the Lagos corridor.
He said the Federal Government was ready to work with Lagos State on four priority areas approved by the President: grid stabilisation, market liquidity, grid expansion, and governance and regulatory harmonisation.
Sanwo-Olu commended the federal delegation for its commitment to addressing challenges in the power sector, saying Lagos State was also prepared to work with the Federal Government to develop practical solutions.
The governor stressed the need to create a bankable, collaborative and competitive electricity market that would improve power supply for residents and businesses in Lagos.
To drive implementation, Tegbe announced the establishment of a Joint Technical Committee to identify outstanding challenges and recommend next steps.
The committee will be chaired by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Energy. Its members will include representatives of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), Lagos Independent System Operator (LAISO), Lagos State Electricity Authority (LSEA) and the Federal Ministry of Power.
The technical committee will report to a Steering Committee chaired by Sanwo-Olu and co-chaired by Tegbe. Its members will include the Special Adviser to the President on Power, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power and the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy.
Also at the meeting were the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Dr Lanre Babalola; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Energy, Biodun Ogunleye; and the Managing Directors of TCN, NISO and REA, among other senior government officials.
