Susan Abayomi
The Lagos State Government has laid out an ambitious plan to end the state’s long-running power problems and deliver 24-hour electricity across the metropolis. The announcement came on Monday, May 18, 2026, during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, where Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Biodun Ogunleye presented the ministry’s achievements and next steps under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The plan is framed as a direct response to the “culture of blackouts” that has defined life and business in Lagos for decades.
At the center of the strategy is the Lagos State Electricity Law 2024, which Ogunleye described as a turning point for the state’s energy sector. The law gives Lagos the legal framework to build its own electricity market, separate from the constraints of the national grid. The administration says the goal is to make Lagos Africa’s leading subnational electricity market by using private-sector investment, independent power generation, and full metering to drive reliability and efficiency.
The long-term targets are specific. Lagos wants to achieve between 95 and 100 percent grid availability by 2030, alongside full metering penetration and a reduction in energy losses to single-digit levels. Ogunleye explained that the plan depends on four pillars: strong regulatory institutions, investor-friendly policies, independent power generation, and universal metering. The idea is to create a competitive ecosystem where multiple operators can generate, distribute, and trade power within the state.
Regulatory groundwork is already underway through the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission, LASERC. The commission has begun licensing operators, enforcing standards, and strengthening consumer protection mechanisms. According to Ogunleye, 14 licences and permits have been issued to compliant operators so far. This licensing process is meant to bring structure and accountability to a market that has largely been informal and fragmented.
One of the most immediate changes for residents will be metering. The state plans to launch a 100 percent metering initiative starting in July 2026. The goal is to eliminate estimated billing and give consumers more control over their consumption and costs. Officials believe that accurate metering will also reduce revenue losses for operators and make the market more attractive to private investors.
Lagos is also betting on technology to monitor and manage the new market. The government is developing an artificial intelligence-powered platform called the “Electric Eye of Lagos” to provide real-time visibility into electricity trading and power delivery across the state. The system is designed to track outages, trading activity, and distribution performance, giving regulators and operators the data needed to respond quickly to faults and inefficiencies.
To support the reforms, Lagos is finalizing market rules, consumer supply codes, and grid interface guidelines. These documents are meant to define how generators, distributors, and consumers interact within the new market structure. The state is positioning these rules as a way to reduce regulatory uncertainty and give investors the confidence to commit capital to generation and distribution projects.
The plan builds on earlier moves by Lagos to take more control of its power supply since the federal Electricity Act 2023 allowed states to regulate their own markets. Recent agreements with companies like Mainland Power, Akute IPP, and Fenchurch Power signal that private firms are already stepping in. If the roadmap succeeds, Lagos could become the first Nigerian state to run a largely self-sufficient, 24-hour electricity market, setting a template other states may follow.
