Lagos, USAID partner on improved electricity access
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has executed a Letter of Cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to unveil the Lagos State Integrated Resource Plan, under the Power Africa-Nigeria’s Power Sector Program initiative (PA-NPSP), to improve access to electricity in the state.
At a virtual event, Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, said: “to improve access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, there is no better place to start than in Nigeria.”
According to him, the Integrated Resource Plan is a priority initiative for the State Government, as it underpins its power reform strategy to ensure that access to reliable and affordable electricity of residents becomes a reality.
The Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources, Olalere Odusote, said the signing of the letter was a significant milestone in the implementation plan of the State Government to improve residents’ access to affordable electricity.
He said: “It is impossible to have a sustainable economic plan without a strategic energy plan. The objective of Lagos State is to deliver affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to Lagos residents, a key enabler for the vision of making Lagos a 21st-century economy. The Integrated Resource Plan will be a sustainable, long-term electrification plan for Lagos.”
He explained that the Integrated Resource Plan would be developed within the framework of PA-NPSP, and would be the roadmap to guide the development and implementation of a comprehensive electrification strategy that “will be best suited to the long-term development needs of Lagos State.
“The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) when developed, will be an effective tool for improved planning and decision making towards accelerating successful investment in the electricity sector and ultimately increasing electricity accessibility and reliability in Lagos State.”
USAID’s Mission Director, Stephen Haykin, remarked that “Power Africa recognizes the importance of reliable electricity supply to Nigeria’s present and future. From an energy perspective, I can’t think of no better way to accelerate access to electricity than to actively partner with the Lagos State Government for the development of a robust Integrated Resource Plan.”
To this end, it is vital that we support this initiative, as it serves as a critical planning process to meet consumers’ needs for electricity services in a way that satisfies multiple objectives for resource use.”
At the signing ceremony, Deputy Chief of party for PA-NPSP, Tunde Gbajumo, emphasized the importance of collaborating with relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions.
Gbajumo said PA-NPSP and the Lagos State Government would work closely with various stakeholders in the power sector to develop the Integrated Resource Plan.
He informed further that a study team comprising gas suppliers, the two Lagos distribution companies, generation companies, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Rural Electrification Agency, and the Federal Government has been set up.
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