Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has challenged stakeholders in the power sector to end the persistent blackout in the state and across Nigeria, urging them to abandon excuses and take practical steps towards building a resilient economy.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Wednesday at a high-level strategic town hall meeting on ending blackouts and developing a sustainable 24-hour power economy in Lagos State, held at the State House, Marina.
The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, was joined by members of the State Executive Council and senior representatives from the public and private sectors.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from across the power value chain to develop concrete measures for achieving reliable round-the-clock electricity supply in Lagos.
Representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), 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 also attended.
Governor demands action
Sanwo-Olu called on participants to set aside institutional rivalries and confront the challenges preventing improvements in electricity supply.
He urged stakeholders “to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector”.
The governor acknowledged growing frustration among both government officials and private-sector operators over meetings that often produce limited practical results.
He noted that the decentralisation and regulatory unbundling of Nigeria’s electricity sector had given states greater powers to develop and regulate independent power systems.
According to him, states could no longer attribute slow progress entirely to centralised federal control.
Sanwo-Olu called for a frank, “gloves-off” discussion focused on identifying systemic weaknesses, government shortcomings and performance gaps within the private sector.
He said the objective of the closed-door session was to move beyond discussions and develop an actionable roadmap for delivering dependable electricity to Lagos residents and businesses.
Power supply falls below 1,000MW
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said the meeting was convened as part of the state government’s efforts to end the culture of blackouts.
Ogunleye said the forum provided an opportunity for industry practitioners to identify gaps affecting electricity supply while also considering studies commissioned by the state government on possible solutions.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Temitope George, identified inadequate generation and transmission capacity, electricity theft, vandalism and non-payment of bills as some of the major challenges confronting the sector.
She said electricity supplied to Lagos, which had previously exceeded 1,500 megawatts, had recently fallen below 1,000MW.
George urged consumers to pay their electricity bills, warning that non-payment distorted the electricity market and ultimately affected the ability of other consumers to receive adequate supply.
Federal Government upgrades transmission capacity
The meeting came as the Federal Government continued efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s electricity transmission network.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, commissioned upgraded transmission infrastructure at Alausa and Lekki in Lagos.
The projects added a combined 272MW of bulk power capacity to two of the state’s major economic corridors, according to the minister.
The state government said the latest discussions were intended to complement such investments by addressing challenges across the broader electricity supply chain and developing a sustainable 24-hour power system for Lagos.
