The Federal Government has started talks with electricity distribution companies to set up proposed Energy Zones designed to provide round-the-clock power supply to homes, businesses, and industries in key demand centers nationwide.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, met behind closed doors with the leadership of selected distribution companies to deliberate on the proposed initiative, which focuses on the Lagos axis, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, and the Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.
The meeting was made public in a statement released on Wednesday by the minister’s media aide, Adeola Adelabu.
The statement read, “In furtherance of the Federal Government’s commitment to deliver reliable electricity to Nigerians, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has held a strategic closed-door meeting with the leadership of select electricity distribution companies over the proposed Energy Zones, designed to deliver a stable, 24-hour power supply to homes, businesses, and industries in the country’s highest-demand areas, namely the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, and Enugu-Port-Harcourt.”
This initiative aims to tackle constraints in electricity distribution and ensure that power produced and fed into the national grid reaches consumers more dependably, especially in regions with significant commercial and industrial demand.
Tegbe noted in the statement that the power sector’s challenges went beyond generation and transmission to include the ability of distribution companies to take in and supply available electricity to end users.
“The constraint on the sector is not limited to generation and transmission but includes how much power is taken up and delivered at the distribution end,” the statement quoted the minister as saying.
He stated that the proposed energy zones would help bridge the gap, stimulate commercial and industrial demand, and enhance the revenue and collection performance of distribution companies.
The minister also restated the Federal Government’s dedication to expanding electricity infrastructure in high-demand areas, observing that supply capacity needs to increase in step with the requirements of Nigeria’s growing economy.
The proposed zones are anticipated to concentrate on areas where dependable electricity is essential for businesses, manufacturing, and other productive activities. Nevertheless, the statement offered no timeline for implementation, no proposed capacity for the zones, and no details of the specific infrastructure investments needed to provide round-the-clock supply.
According to the statement, the engagement is part of Tegbe’s commitment, upon taking office, to a disciplined and phased approach to tackling the sector’s longstanding challenges.
It also fits with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which regards reliable electricity supply as a key driver of economic growth, industrialization, and job creation.
The distribution companies and energy firm represented at the meeting were Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, and Sahara Energy Group.
The proposed energy zones emerge amid ongoing worries about the reliability of electricity supply and the capacity of distribution companies to deliver available power to consumers.
