(Joseph Tegbe. Photo by Arise Tv)
The federal government says it will work to solve Lagos State’s electricity problems by adding 3,500 megawatts of power to what the state currently receives.
The Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe, shared this plan on Thursday at a meeting in Lagos that brought together government officials, regulators, and power companies.
The government believes that through better coordination in generating, transmitting, distributing, and measuring electricity, Lagos will eventually have enough power to meet its own needs.
Right now, Lagos needs more than 6,000 megawatts to run properly, but the national grid supplies far less than that.
Experts say that simply producing more electricity will not help much if the system that carries it to homes and businesses is not strong enough.
The government has identified several areas that need urgent work, including improving gas supply, building more generation capacity, strengthening the transmission network, fixing distribution problems, and improving metering systems.
The state has already secured 400 megawatts from private power producers and plans to explore more options, including gas-powered plants and renewable energy sources.
Lagos State’s governor stressed the need for all parties involved to work more closely together and improve how they track and manage electricity use.
He also called for better metering technology to help track consumption more accurately, which should help build customer confidence and encourage investment in the power sector.
The governor suggested having another meeting in five to six months to check on how well these plans are being carried out.
The state’s energy commissioner said Lagos is determined to end the constant blackouts that have become a normal part of life for residents.
