Oyo commissioner seeks public-private partnership to boost power supply for industries

For the industries to be able to operate effectively, without the encumbrancesof inadequate electricity supply, there is need to activate public-private partnerships to ensure that the productivity of these firms is not hampered.

This was according to the Commissioner of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Oyo State, Adebisi Adeniyi, who was speaking on the idea behind the upcoming two-day South West Mega Exhibition of Solar Energy Products, scheduled for September 13 and 14, 2024 (Friday and Saturday) at the International Conference Centre (ICC), University of Ibadan.

The exhibition conference, which is a joint effort of the Oyo State Government and a specialist agency – Foresight Corporate Consult, will enable the dealers of solar energy products, to interact with their markets, mostly end users during the show.
 
These will include officials from the various sectors of the industry, such as corporate bodies, financial institutions, private schools, universities, petrol stations, supermarkets; and domestic users, that include community development associations (CDAs) in residential areas of high-brow estates, located in inner cities.
 
Speaking on the event, Adeniyi stressed that there is need for the use of solar energy products, to compliment the conventional sources of electricity supply, as a way of ensuring adequate supply of electricity, to meet the energy requirements of the various segments of society in Oyo State and the other South West states of Nigeria.

He said: “Considering the need for electricity supply for industry, the supply needs to be regular. It is in order to ensure this, that we are aligning our efforts with the dealers of solar energy products, particularly manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors and installers of solar energy products.”

Adeniyi, who will be the special guest of honour at the event, said the Mega exhibition is being organised to address the challenge posed by electricity to the smooth operation of industry output, using the concept of public-private partnership.He said: “In this context, we want to ensure that productivity by industry is not in any way hampered; as such, we are recognising that the providers of solar energy products are playing a significant and recognisable role in the industry.
 
“It is for this reason that we thought it appropriate to collaborate with the specialist agency – Foresight Corporate Consult, to organise the South west Mega Exhibition of Solar Energy Products. Simply put, the exhibition event will enable the dealers of solar energy products, to interact with their markets, mostly end users.”

Also speaking ahead of the show, President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Oyo State Chapter, Mary Odedare, described the Mega Exhibition of Solar Energy Products as innovative, which will create a positive impact on the operations of schools, adding that, discounted sales of the solar energy products by the participating companies will go a long way to help minimise the costs that private schools are forced to cope with, in their effort to generate electricity for the schools.

Odedare, therefore, urged private schools to take advantage of the offers of the price reduction by the exhibiting companies, to latch onto the modern, neat, noise-free sources of electricity that the solar energy products provide.

The President added: “It is in recognition of the advantages that the solar energy products are offering that is encouraging NAPPS to use our official platforms, to mobilise all proprietors of our schools in Oyo State, to patronize the upcoming exhibition.”
 
The Head Consultant of the organising agency, Ayodeji Oshodi, while appreciating the collaboration with the Commissioner on the project, expressed readiness by the agency to host the participating companies, that include some of Nigeria’s promising, frontline solar energy outlets, that provide authentic, original, and reliable products.

They include OIC Solar, Ashdam Solar, Sofar Solar Nigeria, C. Divine Answer International, APlus Power Solution, GreenPower Overseas, Novel Solar, and Genesis Ecopower Systems Limited.