FG PLANS DEDICATED POWER LINES FOR MANUFACTURERS
The Federal Government has announced plans to develop dedicated electricity transmission infrastructure for major industrial clusters across Nigeria as part of efforts to improve power supply, reduce production costs and strengthen local manufacturing.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, disclosed the plan at the Manufacturers Energy Security and Energy Efficiency Summit in Lagos.
He said the government was working on a proposal to connect available electricity generation from Alaoji in Abia State to the Agbara industrial area in Ogun State through an effective transmission line.
According to the minister, the initiative is aimed at directing available power to areas with significant industrial demand, ensuring that manufacturers have access to more reliable electricity.
Tegbe explained that the government’s electricity strategy is built around four major priorities: optimising existing power generation and transmission assets, developing industrial energy zones, improving the financial sustainability of the power sector and expanding critical infrastructure.
He also identified the Lagos-Ogun, Benin-Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridors as priority economic zones where electricity infrastructure would be aligned with industrial activities.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had also settled ₦1.23 trillion out of the ₦3.3 trillion legacy debt owed to electricity generation companies as part of efforts to improve liquidity in the power sector.
Meanwhile, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has launched an energy cost reduction programme to help factories adopt more affordable and sustainable electricity solutions.
MAN President, Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, said unreliable grid supply and rising energy costs were placing considerable pressure on manufacturers and threatening their competitiveness.
The programme will support solutions including rooftop solar installations, battery storage systems, captive gas generation and smart energy management.
The proposed dedicated transmission links are expected to help reduce manufacturers’ dependence on expensive alternative power sources, lower production expenses and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian-made products.
However, the Alaoji-Agbara connection remains a proposal under development, with further details on its implementation yet to be announced.