•L-R: Minister of Works, Mr Bayo Adelabu; Lagos Deputy Gov, Obafemi Hamzat; Vice President Kashim Shettima; Gov Dapo Abiodun; his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele & the MD/CEO of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo during the Agbara Business Roundtable in Agbara, Ogun State on Thursday.
By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Federal Government has assured investors of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration’s determination to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, promising specifically to make adequate power supply across the country, especially in industrial clusters a reality.
Vice President Kashim Shettima gave the assurance in Ogun State on Thursday during the Agbara Business Roundtable held at Agbara, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the State, where he
launched an initiative to ensure a dedicated power supply to industrial clusters across the country, starting with Agbara Industrial Estate.
He said the country holds tremendous opportunities for not only investors but also the people, expressing the concern that the Agbara Cluster relies on other sources of power supply aside from the national grid.
According to him, the Federal Government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) is committed to ensuring that clusters like Agbara benefit from a cheaper means of generating power in their various factories.
The Vice President, who is the Chairman of NDPHC Board of Directors, expressed the confidence that the Agbara Industrial Estate would enjoy a steady power supply in the next four months.
He said: “I am here to reassure the business community that we mean business. I want to give you my word and my word is my bond, if you need 200 Megawatts, 300 Megawatts, we can give it to you.
“Be rest assured, we are going to supply your power needs with no strings attached. We are giving power to Togo, I think we are giving 100 Megawatts to Togo, and some of these nations are not even paying us. Why can’t we give to businesses that will pay us? It is just simple arithmetic; it is a matter of economics.”
He charged the staff of NDPHC to double their effort by ensuring the delivery of the Agbara Industrial Cluster power program in three to four months.
Shettima also reiterated the commitment of President Tinubu to make power available to the entire country.
“It is all about advocacy, it is about people believing in you and I have the confidence of my boss, such that I can talk authoritatively. He is very passionate about the Nigerian project. He is very committed to repositioning this nation,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Dapo Abiodun said that without electricity, all infrastructure provided for the use of the people of Ogun state and the country as a whole would be in vain.
Abiodun said that his administration had established additional industrial clusters, stressing that without stable and reliable power, all the initiatives would not achieve the set objectives.
“We believe that such initiatives like this speak to ensuring the sustainability of competitive industrialization and one must not but salute this initiative.
“We as a state have gone ahead besides this Agbara Cluster, we have five other clusters. We have one by the Interchange called Remo Cluster, we are creating a new one called the Magboro Cluster. We are creating our own Aerotropolis which is our special agro-processing zone, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria. We also have the Ijebu-Ode cluster because we believe that it is through these clusters that we can jump-start socio-economic activity.
“These clusters, what do they seem to do, we provide the parcel of land, provide the needed infrastructure and this attracts industrial activities.
“But, without a doubt, without stable, reliable and clean power, all these initiatives will be in vain. So, to that extent, we are extremely excited,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat said ensuring adequate power supply in the country is complex because of the attitudes of Nigerians.
Hamzat regretted that out of about 13,000 Megawatts available, the country could only transmit 4,000 Megawatts.
“The issue of our power is complex and why it is complex is because of bad behaviour among all of us, the stakeholders, the distribution companies, generating companies.
“For me, the biggest challenge that we see in our country now is public commentary. We have a lot of people that go out there to just say things, demeaning our institutions and that is the biggest challenge.
“When the international community do surveys, they listen to your news and then you keep killing your country. The truth of the matter is that Lagos and Ogun states are safer than New York. The possibility of being shot in New York is higher than being in Lagos.
Minister of Power, Mr Bayo Adelabu on his part said the event marked a pivotal moment in the collective endeavour to fortify one of the backbones of the industrial landscape of the country.
He noted that the project stands as the first of many projects in the federal government’s light-up initiative to deliver reliable electricity to industrial and heavy user clusters across the country.
Adelabu noted that Agbara is a cluster where dreams are forged, industries thrive and where opportunities are limitless, adding that the ambitious endeavour when completed will bolster the power supply within the industrial estate by ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted flow of electricity to meet the demands of the industries.
Earlier in his welcome address, the MD/CEO, of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo disclosed that the event signifies the commitment of the present administration through NDPHC to ensure consistent and reliable power supply to industrial concerns.
He added that the company is the only government-owned company responsible for implementing the integrated power project of the government which aims to enhance electricity generation.
Ugbo said that the primary objective of the initiative was to ensure a consistent, reliable and cost-effective supply of electricity from power plants across the country to the extensive industrial and business clusters in Agbara and across the country.
He noted that NDPHC has successfully constructed about 8 power plants with a combined capacity of approximately 4,000 Megawatts.
