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Sanwo-Olu Assures Lagosians Of Prepaid Meters
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised to drive reliable energy delivery to residents of the state with the availability of pre-paid meters.
The governor gave the assurance at the 2019 Nigeria Resources Risk and Governance Summit, themed: “Energy for Sustainable Economic Growth – Threats, Opportunities and Governance.”
He acknowledged that they were aware of the existing inadequacies in the status of distribution infrastructure metering to the end-users.
“Government is engaging intensely with the DisCos to drive reliable energy delivery to our citizens along with ensuring the availability of meters. We believe that this would increase the willingness to pay, improve productivity, and more importantly, continue to improve the living conditions of our people.”
The governor, who was represented by Olalere Odusote, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, said the present administration in the state realises the significant impact of steady, reliable and safe energy supply on the welfare and economic wellbeing of the people and is committed to encouraging the development and greater use of cleaner, safer and more suitable energy.
“In line with this administration’s desire to promote the wellbeing of its citizenry and build a Lagos that is safe, clean and prosperous, the provision of efficient, effective and sustainable policies to drive the operations of the energy sector in the state is crucial.”
He added that the state is uniquely positioned to perform its statutory duties in the energy sector with a functional state Energy Ministry and capable implementation agencies such as Lagos State Electricity Board and Ibile Oil and Gas Corporation with its two distribution companies.
He also remarked that his administration will continue to create and review existing regulations in the sector to foster growth and development across the state.
Sanwo-Olu revealed that in order to tackle energy shortages in the state, his administration has developed an Integrated Energy Resource Plan to review and expand existing high, medium and low voltage networks for solar energy initiative for public schools and spaces, health and commercial centres as well as other strategic public spaces like state government facilities, public institutions, street lightning installations and much more.
While calling on stakeholders to make the sector more sustainable, Sanwo-Olu, who identified huge capital outlay as most visible threat to the sector, expressed a desire to partner with the Federal Government institutions and strengthen working relationships with regulators such as Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Rural Electrification Agency on the Nigerian Electrification Project on mini grids projects such as Solar Home System; Energising Economies Initiative (markets), and Energising Education in Universities among others.
He promised to extend power distribution to Lagos communities that are off-grid, adding that his administration is ready to execute and replicate projects on infrastructure improvement, metering and tariff collection in pilot zones towards a willing buyer/seller arrangement in partnership with private investors.
On sustainability, the governor expressed the readiness of the present administration to make the state green and to create the needed enabling environment for renewable energy technologies.
He said government will deploy solar photo mini-grids, standalone solar systems, wind technologie,s biomass solutions, and small hydro solutions in the energy mix of the state to drive long-term energy goals of the State.
The Governor also disclosed the creation and deployment of a security task force for power and the establishment of special courts in key places to rapidly adjudicate cases.
“We are keen on making Lagos State green and are not only willing to create the enabling environment for renewable energy technologies but also the deployment of solar photo voltaic mini-grids, standalone solar systems, wind energy technologies, biomass solutions and small hydro solutions which are key to meeting the electricity demand of the State.
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