FG PLANS 24-HOUR POWER ZONES IN LAGOS, ABUJA, KANO AND OTHER CITIES

The Federal Government is working with electricity distribution companies on plans to establish Energy Zones that could provide 24-hour electricity to homes, businesses and industries in major demand centres across Nigeria.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, held a closed-door meeting with selected distribution companies to discuss the proposed initiative, which will initially focus on the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.

The meeting was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the minister’s media aide, Adeola Adelabu.

According to the statement, the initiative is aimed at addressing challenges at the distribution end of the power sector and ensuring that electricity generated and transmitted through the national grid reaches consumers more reliably.

Tegbe said the challenges in the sector were not limited to generation and transmission, but also included the ability of distribution companies to take up and deliver available electricity to consumers.

He said the proposed Energy Zones would help close this gap, increase electricity consumption by commercial and industrial users and improve the revenue and collection performance of distribution companies.

The government said the zones would prioritise areas with high commercial and industrial demand, where reliable electricity is considered important for businesses and manufacturing.

However, the statement did not give a specific timeline for the implementation of the Energy Zones, their planned capacity or the infrastructure investments required to provide round-the-clock electricity.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Sahara Energy Group.

The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to address longstanding challenges in electricity distribution and expand power infrastructure in areas with growing demand.