5th November, 2013
By Tayo Ogunbiyi
The working article of the Lagos state government, in its developmental drive, is the Ten Point Agenda. It is a document that connects the government to the people. It is a document of trust and action. However, while the state government has continued to focus on the realisation of the goals and objectives of the Ten Points Agenda, its recent focus on Power, Agriculture, Transportation and Housing (PATH) is an indication of a fresh resolution to move the state along the path of steadfast and continuous development. Undoubtedly, Lagos State has everything to gain if everyone signs on and works assiduously to pursue this PATH of improved Power, abundant food supply through Agriculture, efficient Transportation system and affordable Housing which the Fashola administration has chosen to follow.
A central feature of PATH, which the government is very passionate about, is power. As the bedrock of any development agenda, the provision of stable power supply should be the utmost priority of any government. The provision of potable water, functional telecommunication services, adequate security, traffic management, healthcare and education are all dependant on the availability of constant and stable electricity. Without doubt, the demands for these services have tremendously increased in Lagos State.
Recent data reveals that the power requirements of Lagos today is estimated at about 10,000-12,000 MW. This is a sharp contrast to the less than 1,000MW available to Lagos State from the national grid. This situation has propelled many people to resort to self-help, compelling them to provide their own electricity, resulting in emergence of all manner of domestic power generating sets. This has resulted in very high cost of electricity which unfortunately accounts for 30 per cent of operating costs of any business.
This has many adverse social costs that are almost limitless in their dimensions. These include, among others, erosion of disposable income for fuel to provide power, frustrations, health hazards, security failures and unemployment. To complicate matters, the provision of electricity and the management of power remain a matter of responsibility for the Federal Government.
Though the power situation in the country has remained unchanged, the Fashola administration has, nevertheless, convinced the people that steady power is possible as it has demonstrated with its four Independent Power Projects at Ikorodu, Akute, Lagos Island and recently, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja. It is currently pursuing similar projects at Lekki, Ikeja GRA and Ikorodu as well as Matori and Imota Industrial Schemes. Equally, government is currently working on a plan to put in place a power plant in Somolu, a popular hub for commercial and industrial printing.
In view of its pivotal role in the transformation of the economy of any society, nothing is being spared to ensure that the power situation in the state improves considerably. The State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), recently commissioned the 10.6 MW Alausa Power Project that would power the entire State Secretariat, Alausa and Obafemi Awolowo Way. The Alausa Power plant, a joint venture between the state government, Oando Gas and Fidelity Bank, represents the triumph of the state government Public–Private Partnership model. Through this model, the intervention of the state government, in the power sector, has ensured that numerous places and milestones in the metropolis such as Carter Bridge, a vital by-pass into Lagos, has now been lit just like Simpson Street in Lagos and the Ramp on Marina close to the Third Mainland Bridge.
Similarly, the 12 major streets that were recently lit up in Alimosho area of the state have brought considerable economic benefits to the area as traders who used to close early in the evening now operate late into the night as a result of the improved security situation. A similar situation is being experienced in Somolu, where traders have equally extended their trading hours as a result of some of the recently lit streets.
Improved power supply, without doubt, remains a major key to tackling the myriads of social challenges such as unemployment, insecurity among others, currently bedevilling the Nigerian society. This, indeed, is the driving force of the state government in its various investments in the power sector. The need to generate more wealth and increase productivity is a major factor in the state government renewed resolve to improve power supply in the state. The recently commissioned Alausa Power Plant is a viable alternative for over 120 generators used to be employed at the Secretariat as alternate power source and which would also translate to an aggregate of 30 mw of inefficient megawatts of power which borders on lost time, lost accountability, diesel supply and transport cost which would now be history. The power released from the Alausa Power Plant will be diverted into other parts of the state to assist in stabilising power in those areas.
Currently, plans are in top gear to bring on board more power plants in other strategic locations across the state where it could be utilised more effectively for the common good of the public. For instance, a new independent power plant is being planned for Lekki to power the Lekki Water Works. This is in addition to the one being prepared for Ikeja GRA that will power the General Hospital, the High Court, the Police Command and the Ikeja Water Works. With regards to improving power in the various communities across the state, the Lagos State government is moving towards the right direction. It has established a transformer manufacturing plant with a view to ensuring that when public power eventually improves, the components to bring it to peoples’ home will be available.
It is, however, important for the people to embrace the culture of power conservation as a way of freeing unused power so that power across the state could considerably stabilised. The habit of putting on unneeded power should be discouraged. The reality is that utilities will never be enough whether it is water or power as no nation has enough of it but most societies reach optimal utilization by a mixture of provision and conservation. Aside switching off unused power, the use of energy saving bulbs at homes and offices represents another way through which power could be conserved.
Besides the need to conserve power, there is need for government and other stakeholders across the country to explore other sources of power aside from hydropower. Efforts should be made, in this respect, to seek collaboration and cooperation of countries that are already making successful use of alternative power sources. With the enormous human and natural resources at the disposal of the country, stabilizing the power sector should not pose such a great challenge. The centrality of the power sector to the overall performance of the nation’s economy calls for a more robust approach in tackling challenges associated with the sector.
•Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.