The Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye has unveiled plans to establish five new power hubs across the city, providing residents with alternative sources of clean energy.
The Commissioner explained during the state’s Ministerial briefing that the additional power hubs would complement the existing six solar Proof of Concept (POC) projects, offering Lagosians a more reliable alternative energy supply.
Ogunleye also highlighted the state’s ambition to develop one gigawatt of grid-scale solar energy capacity of the clean Lagos electricity market. Over ten potential sites, including the Egbin terminal plant site, Ikorodu, Badagry, Agbara, and Ogudu, are being considered for this project.
Funds received as oil derivation
He further said that the state government received about N3.78 billion in oil derivation between 2020 and 2021 from the federation account.
He noted that the figure was a significant increase from about N131 million received as oil derivation between 2018 and 2019.
According to him, the state government would be partnering with the federal government in further research into the discovery of new minerals that could boost the state’s revenues.
He said, “Between 2018 and 2019, the state government received from the Federal Government N131 million as part of oil derivation. Also, within 2020-2021, the Lagos state government received N3.78 billion.”
“However, presently, the owners of the assets have been having issues among themselves. And as long as they could not produce, there would be no money for Lagos. The state government is engaging them to ensure that they return to the field. And we hope that before the end of the year, they will find new technical partners and they can go back to production”
Curbing of haphazard establishment of gas plants
Furthermore, the Commissioner emphasized that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has distributed over 10,000 gas cylinders to petty traders to reduce their reliance on firewood and other unclean energy sources.
The Commissioner announced that the Lagos State Government will collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that gas and fuel stations operate safely, prioritizing the well-being of Lagos residents.
What you should know
Last year, the Lagos state government unveiled plans to raise $10 billion to meet the state’s electricity needs by 2032. The Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said that the state would need about 10 to 12 megawatts of electricity in the next decade to meet its energy needs.
The state also plans an energy mix of both solar, wind, and gas-powered energy generation to power its industrialisation.
