Sustainable Energy, Key to 21st Century Lagos Economy – Stakeholders

The Lagos State Government has highlighted the need for sustainable power supply as means to realising the goal of having a 21st century robust Lagos economy envisioned by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

This was the summation of stakeholders during the Lagos State Electricity Policy Stakeholder Consultative Session, organised to explore how electricity supply can be upscaled to improve socio-economic activities in the state.

Speaking at the event, which held virtually, the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, stressed that the policy would serve as a launch-pad for development of the state, adding that Lagos being the major commercial hub and the most populous State in Nigeria, required sustainable energy solutions.

He urged stakeholders to work with the state to realise its dream for the Lagos Electricity Market, geared towards ensuring wider access to reliable power supply in the state.

The Attorney General and Honourable Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, who explained that creation of the Lagos Electricity Market was within the powers vested on the state by Section 14 of the Concurrent Legislative list in the 1999 Constitution, noted that the State Government was ready to collaborate with Federal Government in transition of the regulation of electricity distribution within Lagos to a State regulator.

The CEO of Excredite Consulting Limited, Mr. Eyo Ekpo, Consultant to the State Government, who described key elements of the Lagos Electricity Policy, stated that the State’s key short and medium-term sector objectives include the enactment of an electricity law by 31st December 2021, achieving 30% year-on-year capacity and energy growth from 1,000MW/12,000MWh to 12,000MW/162,000MW by 2028.

Also speaking at the event, a Consultant, UK FCDO African Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF), Dolapo Kukoyi, who assisted Lagos State Government on the off-grid energy aspects of the policy, noted the great value of off-grid solutions (OGS) in rapidly deploying clean energy technologies to provide access to electricity in areas that are grossly underserved in the state.