Susan Abayomi
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has held a strategic meeting with the leadership of selected electricity distribution companies as part of efforts by the Federal Government to establish dedicated Energy Zones capable of supporting reliable 24-hour electricity supply.
The proposed Energy Zones are targeted at some of Nigeria’s highest-demand areas, including the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and the Enugu-Port Harcourt axis.
The initiative is aimed at improving electricity supply to households, businesses and industries while strengthening the capacity of the distribution network to absorb and deliver available power.
Speaking during the closed-door engagement, Tegbe said the challenges facing Nigeria’s power sector extend beyond electricity generation and transmission to the capacity of the distribution end to take up and effectively deliver available power.
According to the minister, the proposed Energy Zones are designed to address this gap by unlocking commercial and industrial demand, improving electricity distribution and strengthening the revenue and collection capacity of DisCos.
He said the Federal Government is committed to developing infrastructure in areas with high electricity demand to ensure that supply capacity keeps pace with the needs of Nigeria’s expanding economy.
The engagement also forms part of the minister’s commitment to adopting a disciplined and phased approach to addressing challenges across the power sector.
Tegbe said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which places reliable electricity supply at the centre of economic expansion, industrial development and job creation.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and Sahara Energy Group.
