FG Eyes 24-Hour Power for Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in Pilot Scheme

The Federal Government has identified Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory for a proposed 24-hour power supply pilot. No commencement date has been announced. The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said implementation will depend on technical readiness and commercial viability.

Tegbe spoke at an interactive luncheon with senior media editors in Lagos on Friday. He said the Lagos-Ogun axis and the Abuja electricity distribution franchise area account for more than 50% of Nigeria's electricity demand.

Economic corridor approach

The proposed intervention is part of a corridor-based electricity strategy covering Lagos-Ogun, Benin-Enugu-Port Harcourt and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano. Tegbe said the government intends to coordinate generation, transmission and distribution investments across these economic corridors.

The selected locations are economic centres. Reliable electricity there could improve industrial productivity, support businesses and reduce dependence on expensive alternative power sources, he said.

Debt payments and metering

The Federal Government has paid N1.23 trillion from the N3.3 trillion approved by President Bola Tinubu to settle verified outstanding debts owed to electricity generation companies. Tegbe said the payments were meant to improve liquidity and strengthen operations across the electricity industry.

More than 2.8 million electricity customers were metered between 2023 and October 2026 under the Presidential Metering Initiative. Recently commissioned substations and equipment have also increased national transmission capacity by over 1,300 megavolt-amperes.

Beneficiary locations include Apapa, Ijora, Ikeja, Kumbotoso, Dankata, Mashi, Dan-Agundi, Biliri and Walalambe.

10,000MW target and grid centre

Tegbe said the administration is pursuing an electricity generation capacity target of 10,000 megawatts. It is also building a new National Grid Control Centre in Osogbo. The facility will replace the existing control centre, which has operated for more than six decades.

The minister listed inadequate gas supply, ageing infrastructure, vandalism, transmission bottlenecks and poor metering as persistent challenges. The government has approved coordinated security measures to protect critical electricity infrastructure.

If implemented successfully, the initiative could reduce generator expenses, improve business operations and provide more predictable electricity for households. Tegbe acknowledged widespread frustration over unreliable supply. He said Nigerians would judge the reforms by actual improvements rather than government announcements, and that transparency, accountability and consistent service delivery would determine success.