Posted by The government of Enugu state has stated its intention to convert the state from an energy desert to one with a commercially viable electricity market by 2030, with the goal of producing over 690 megawatts of electricity and ensuring a daily power supply of at least 20 hours.
The government also claims that the urgency with which it passed the Enugu State Electricity Law was in line with its economic growth plan to make Enugu State a leading industrial hub by capitalizing on the 2023 constitution amendment and the Electricity Act 2023 to set-up a viable Enugu electricity market and reliable energy supply.
On Wednesday in Abuja, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) hosted a Roundtable for state governments and critical stakeholders titled “The Electricity Act 2023″ Implications and Opportunities for State Electricity Market.” These remarks were made by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah.
To boost the state’s GDP from its current $4.4 billion to $30 billion, the Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state was making a concerted effort to foster an environment conducive to the participation of energy players and investors.
The electricity requirements of Enugu State and the investors who would be relocating there are essential to the government’s ambitious economic growth plan.
With this in mind, we have moved forward with establishing procedures to be followed immediately following the constitutional modification. We are establishing an independent electricity market in the state of Enugu. One of our primary goals is to make Enugu State more attractive to businesses in the private sector by ensuring a steady supply of electricity.
“Enugu State’s plan is to be one of the first three investors’ focus and locations in Nigeria; and to that end, we must ensure that we have constant or reliable power and also encourage a market where investors feel that the power arrangement is governed by a process that is both constitutional and backed by the right policy.” That’s why our government has made the strategic decision to make Enugu State a pioneer in establishing a competitive power market.
According to his prediction, both traditional and renewable energy sources will account for a sizeable chunk of the electrical market.
Also, speaking on the Enugu State experience in a panel discussion on “Closing the Energy Access Gap through Sub-national Electricity Markets: Doing Things Differently”, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Mbah on Policy and Project Management, Louisa Chinedu-Okeke, said the state currently had no operating grid-connected generation assets and only one electricity distribution company with just 9 per cent electricity allocation from the national grid for over five million people.
She did say, however, that the state would be able to make the transition to a commercially competitive electricity market by 2030, with a generation capacity of more than 690 MW and a supply of at least 20 hours.