Stakeholders in Nigeria’s power sector have commended the Lagos State government for coming up with an electricity bill to take advantage of the removal of electricity from the exclusive legislative list.
They gave the commendation on Wednesday at a public hearing on the Lagos State Electricity Bill 2024 at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja.
The Lagos State Electricity Bill 2024 repeals the Electric Power Sector Reform Law 2018 and creates a body that will regulate electricity for the Lagos market targeting the underserved and unserved areas.
It also means that Lagos will no longer rely on the national grid for its electricity supply with other options available to it.
The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly, Mrs Mojisola Miranda said the electricity bill was in response to the fifth alteration of the 1999 Constitution which puts electricity on the concurrent legislative list.
“The bill is pursuant to our resolve to improve electricity situation in the state since the Federal Government has put electricity on the concurrent list. Our state, being very proactive decided to pull the bull by the horn and set a laudable standard for others to follow,” said the Deputy Speaker.
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Abiodun Ogunleye said the state wanted to remove every challenge to the provision of affordable and stable electricity for Lagos residents.
He said, “We are going to see our own grid operate in such a way that we are not susceptible to a lot of the challenges that comes from a largely single source. … Everybody will have access to quality supply all over the city within a period of two years.”
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN, called for a speedy passage of the bill, saying that “from the enactment of this bill into law, new things will surely come. And I know Lagos will be another investment destination in relation to power.”
Speaking on the one hundred and forty-three-clause bill, experts in the energy sector including Mr Bayo Olusodo of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers called for experts to lead the new electricity body, while Mr Babatunde Osadare of Ikeja Electric commended the work done on the bill.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Assembly Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr AbdulSabur Oluwa said the House would incorporate stakeholders’ opinions to enact a law that would make the state electricity sufficient.
“The electricity industry will be private sector driven. People who are interested in generating and distributing electricity will come to our state. If there is competitiveness, it will drive down the price. For most communities that are going to host electricity generating companies, they must find a way to give back in the form of CSR or any other way just to make sure that they impact their host communities,” he said.
Having received favourable comments from stakeholders, the Lagos State Electricity Bill 2024 will now proceed to the report stage in the Assembly before its third reading and passage.
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