The Federal Government on Wednesday hinted about its current discussions with the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to develop proposed Energy Zones aimed at delivering 24-hour electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries in major demand centres nationwide.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, was quoted in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Adelabu, as saying that the proposed initiative, which was discussed at a closed-door meeting with representatives of the DisCos, targets the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors.
The statement partly reads: 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 stable, 24-hour power supply to homes, businesses and industries in the country’s highest-demand areas, namely Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port-Harcourt.”
According to the minister, the initiative is primarily being undertaken to address electricity distribution constraints and ensure that power generated and transmitted to the national grid reaches consumers timely, particularly in areas with high commercial and industrial demand.
- Advertisement -
Tegbe maintained that challenges facing the power sector extended beyond electricity generation and transmission to the capacity of distribution companies to receive and deliver available electricity to end users.
While expressing optimism that the proposed Energy Zones will help close the gap, unlock commercial and industrial demand, and improve the revenue and collection performance of the DisCos, the minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity infrastructure in areas with high demand, noting that supply capacity must grow in line with the needs of Nigeria’s expanding economy.
According to the statement, the parley with the DisCos’ representatives formed part of the minister’s promise on his assumption of office to adopt a disciplined and phased approach to addressing the sector’s longstanding challenges in line with the present administration’s agenda which identifies reliable electricity supply as a key driver of economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
The proposed Energy Zones come amid persistent concerns over the reliability of electricity supply and the ability of distribution companies to deliver available power to consumers.
Industry experts expect that the proposed zones will focus on locations where reliable electricity is critical to businesses, manufacturing and other productive activities.
