Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State government on Tuesday unveiled it’s strategies to achieve stable and independent electricity generation to boost the state’s productivity and economy.
The action plan was revealed by the State’s Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Abiodun Ogunleye at the at the Lagos Energy Summit 2025 themed “Journey to Energy for All” held in Lagos
In attendance at the summit were the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stakeholders in the energy sector, staff of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, among others.
The Commissioner said that for decades, Lagos has endured a culture of blackouts which has resulted in 4.5 million generators being used across residential homes, market clusters, and MSMEs in the state.
He said an estimated 16 billion litres of fuel annually are used by Lagosians to power the 4.5million generators at an average cost of about ₦14 trillion at N900 per litre.
Ogunleye said the generators emit 38 million tons of CO₂ every year, a shocking contrast to entire countries like Togo which emits 9.8million tons, Rwanda 10.6million and Gabon 10.2million, adding that in 2021 alone, 30,000 people died from carbon monoxide emitted by the generators.
In order to address these issues, Ogunleye said the 2023 Electricity Act,
signed by President Bola Tinubu had empowered states like Lagos to take full control of their electricity markets.
He said under the THEMES+ agenda, the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu recognized that energy serves t as the lifeblood of a 24/7 economy to power infrastructure, drive industry, and shape livelihoods.
“In December 2024, the governor signed the Lagos Electricity Law, giving legal teeth to Lagos’ ambition and establishing the Clean Lagos Electricity Market. What followed was an unprecedented revamp of Lagos’ energy strategy,” he said.
According to Ogunleye, some of the steps the state has taken includes the updating of the Integrated Resource Plan, IRP, creation of the Lagos Electricity Policy, creation of the Strategic Implementation Plan, SIP, and an executive approval to commence the Lagos Gas Master Plan.
He revealed that the state is diversifying its energy mix by embracing solar, gas, hydro, and other clean fuels as well expressions of Interest (EOIs) for gas-fired, grid-scale solar, and captive power projects, all aimed at injecting 6GW of power into the state within the next three years.
The Commissioner said the administration has embarked on installing 22,000 retrofitting streetlights across the state to reduce grid pressure and improve energy efficiency.
He said these moves will create an enabling environment where every entrepreneur, student, artisan, and family can thrive powered by electricity that is clean, reliable, and affordable.
He added that the state is working with the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, to install solar in schools, healthcare centres, food/agric hubs as well as homes in unserved and underserved communities, both rural and peri-urban.
He called on stakeholders to partner with the state to provide energy for all Lagosians.
