Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on stakeholders in the power sector to take firm action to address inadequate electricity supply and improve power availability across the state.
According to Channels TV, Sanwo-Olu made the call on Thursday at a high-level strategic town hall meeting on developing a sustainable 24-hour electricity economy in Lagos.
The meeting, held at the State House, Marina, brought together key players in the public and private sectors, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) and the Independent System Operator.
The governor urged stakeholders to put aside institutional interests and focus on resolving the challenges limiting electricity supply.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector,” he said.
He also questioned the impact of reforms introduced following the decentralisation and unbundling of Nigeria’s electricity sector, noting that state governments could no longer rely on the former centralised structure as an excuse for poor performance.
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralized, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” he asked.
Sanwo-Olu recognised the concerns over repeated discussions on the power crisis without adequate results, saying the state needed to move from dialogue to tangible action.
He said the meeting would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine weaknesses within the system, including shortcomings on the part of government and performance gaps in the private sector.
According to him, addressing Lagos’ prolonged power shortfall is essential to unlocking economic growth and creating a stronger electricity market in the state.
The governor called for closer collaboration among stakeholders to develop a clear plan capable of delivering more dependable electricity to residents and businesses.
He said the ultimate objective was to build a sustainable power system that would support Lagos’ economic expansion and reduce the burden of repeated blackouts on households and businesses.
