Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has challenged stakeholders in the electricity sector to end persistent blackouts in the state and work towards establishing a reliable 24-hour power supply to drive economic growth.
Sanwo-Olu made the call on Thursday at a high-level strategic town hall meeting held at the State House, Marina, with the theme, ‘Ending the Culture of Blackouts and Building a Sustainable 24/7 Power Economy in Lagos State.’
The meeting brought together government agencies, regulators, investors and private-sector operators to develop practical measures for improving electricity supply across the state.
The Deputy Governor, Kadri Hamzat, members of the State Executive Council and other senior government officials attended the meeting, alongside representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, International Finance Corporation, Africa Finance Corporation, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Independent System Operator.
The governor said ending the state’s persistent power crisis was critical to unlocking long-term economic growth and creating an electricity market capable of supporting businesses, industries and households.
He urged stakeholders to approach the challenge with greater urgency and responsibility, calling on them to set aside institutional interests and confront the structural problems hampering the sector.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor expressed concern that repeated meetings and discussions on the electricity crisis had produced limited tangible results, insisting that the sector required concrete action rather than another round of promises.
He also referenced the decentralisation and regulatory restructuring of Nigeria’s electricity sector, which has given states greater authority to establish and regulate their electricity markets.
Sanwo-Olu said the reforms had removed the excuse of excessive centralisation that previously limited state governments’ ability to take greater responsibility for power supply.
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” he asked.
The governor noted that despite the establishment of institutions such as the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the state continued to experience significant electricity challenges.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Sanwo-Olu called for a closed-door engagement among the stakeholders to critically examine the structural weaknesses affecting electricity supply, identify areas where government had fallen short and address performance gaps within the private sector.
He said the objective was to develop a practical and measurable roadmap for achieving reliable electricity supply rather than produce another set of recommendations that would remain unimplemented.
According to the governor, a dependable 24-hour electricity system would strengthen Lagos’ economy, improve the operating environment for businesses and industries and enhance the quality of life of residents.
Sanwo-Olu maintained that achieving a sustainable power economy would require stronger collaboration among government, regulators, investors and industry operators, as well as a shared commitment to implementing agreed solutions.
He urged participants to translate the discussions into concrete actions, stressing that the state could no longer afford prolonged delays in resolving its electricity challenges.
