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The Lagos State Government has faulted electricity regulators over the continued failure to ensure that all electricity consumers in the state are provided with meters.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said existing laws already require every electricity customer in Lagos to be metered.
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Ogunleye spoke on the state’s electricity reforms and efforts to improve power supply on the sidelines of the unveiling of four transmission substations in Lagos.
The commissioner said the responsibility for enforcing the metering requirement rests with electricity regulators at both the federal and state levels, noting that the Lagos Government had already established the necessary policy and legal framework.
Asked what the state was doing to close the metering gap, Ogunleye said, “The law provides that all customers must be metered. The Lagos law insists that all customers must be metered.
“So, the question is: what are the regulators doing? What are they doing at the federal and the state level? I’m a policy maker, so don’t ask me that question. When you see the regulators, ask them.”
He maintained that the government had provided the policies and laws required to drive universal metering.
“As policy makers, we have ensured the policy document is there and the law is also there. So, if they’re not implementing it, they should come and tell us why they aren’t using it,” he said.
Ogunleye also urged residents to reject electricity theft and protect power infrastructure, stressing that consumers have a role to play in sustaining the electricity sector.
“Let’s say no to energy theft. Let all of us protect this infrastructure. Let’s go and get our meters. And at the end of the day, let’s manage our use so that we don’t also burst our pockets,” he advised.
He further appealed to Lagos residents to work with electricity companies to ensure that the operators remain financially sustainable.
“Lagosians, let’s just work closely with these companies to ensure that they’re able to stay in business,” the commissioner said.
Lagos promotes private solar power
Ogunleye disclosed that the state government was also encouraging private companies to invest in solar electricity, particularly in areas experiencing significant shortages from the national grid.
He clarified that the government was not providing free solar power but was creating an enabling environment for private operators to provide alternative electricity solutions.
“Lagos government has started encouraging private people. You know, we aren’t intervening directly. People will see it as free of charge and they won’t want to pay.
“But we have started encouraging various companies to go into the business of delivering solar power, particularly in areas where there is considerable grid shortfall, so that the people can enjoy supply at their own pace, at their own terms,” he said.
Lagos seeks higher transmission capacity
The commissioner also said the state was working to expand electricity capacity through improvements to transmission infrastructure.
He noted that additional transformation capacity had been commissioned by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, and the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, including an expansion of the Lekki substation.
According to Ogunleye, the Lekki substation is being expanded to double its capacity, while improvements are also being made at Ijora and Alausa.
He said Lagos would need a significant increase in transmission capacity to achieve its electricity ambitions.
“What I know is that with time, there’s a need to triple capacity in the Lagos area, and it’s the right step in the right direction,” he said.
Ogunleye expressed optimism that increased transmission capacity would help Lagos achieve its target of distributing between three and four gigawatts of electricity across the state.
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