The Federal Government is moving to establish dedicated Energy Zones in major high-demand areas of the country as part of efforts to deliver stable, 24-hour electricity to homes, businesses and industries.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this during a strategic closed-door meeting with the leadership of selected electricity distribution companies to discuss the proposed Energy Zones.
The zones are planned for the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and the Enugu-Port Harcourt axis, which the government identified as areas with significant electricity demand.
Tegbe said the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power sector extend beyond electricity generation and transmission to the ability of distribution companies to take up and deliver available power to consumers.
According to him, the proposed Energy Zones are designed to bridge that gap by unlocking commercial and industrial demand, improving distribution infrastructure and strengthening the revenue and collection capacity of DisCos.
He said the Federal Government would continue to build and upgrade infrastructure in high-demand areas to ensure that electricity supply keeps pace with estimated demand as the economy expands.
The meeting, the Minister said, also reinforced his commitment upon assuming office to adopt a disciplined and sequenced approach to addressing the challenges confronting the power sector.
The initiative is also in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which places reliable electricity supply at the centre of economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
The meeting was attended by the leadership of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and Sahara Energy Group.
