The Federal Government and Lagos State Government have set up a joint technical committee to address infrastructure, regulatory and market challenges hindering the delivery of reliable electricity to the Lagos corridor under the 24/7 Energy Zones pilot.
The initiative, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is expected to begin in Lagos before extending to the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors as part of efforts to improve electricity supply across major commercial and industrial centres.
The agreement followed a high-level technical meeting at Lagos House, Marina, between the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside officials from both governments.
Tegbe said the Ministry had secured commitments from electricity distribution companies to offtake additional power and provide more stable electricity to customers along the Lagos corridor.
He said the Federal Government was prepared to work with Lagos State on four priority areas approved by the President: grid stabilisation, market liquidity, grid expansion, and governance and regulatory harmonisation.
The Joint Technical Committee, chaired by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Energy, will work on resolving technical and institutional challenges and recommend next steps for implementation.
Members of the committee will be drawn from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), Lagos Independent System Operator (LAISO), Lagos State Electricity Authority (LSEA) and the Office of the Minister of Power.
The committee will report to a Steering Committee chaired by Governor Sanwo-Olu and co-chaired by the Minister of Power.
The Steering Committee will also include the Special Adviser to the President on Power, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power and the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy.
Sanwo-Olu said the state was committed to working with the Federal Government to develop practical solutions to longstanding challenges in the electricity sector and build a bankable, collaborative and competitive electricity market in Lagos.
The 24/7 Energy Zones pilot is designed to improve electricity reliability in key economic corridors, with Lagos serving as the first pilot location before expansion to other major commercial and industrial centres.
The meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Dr Lanre Babalola; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Alh Mahmuda Mamman; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Energy, Biodun Ogunleye; and the Managing Directors of TCN, NISO and REA, among other senior officials.