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…Govs, zone seek steady power supply for economic leap
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima has said that the South East remains a critical aspect of the Bola Tinubu-led administration, adding that the hope of the nation rests on Ndigbo.
He described the region as a key component of Nigeria, noting that if the zone works, Nigeria will work.
Shettima spoke during the launch of the Light Up Nigeria Programme (South East), by the Niger
Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in Enugu yesterday.
According to him, the region holds the key to every indices of development of Nigeria.
He said: “I am pleased to witness the second launch of this strategic collaboration between the
Niger Delta Power Holding Company and its invaluable customers. We are gathered here to
embark on a strategic journey for the light up Nigeria in the Southeastern states.
“This marks the renewal of hope for investors and industrialists. This is not a ribbon cutting
charade, this is a calculated endeavour to reengineer our economy.
“The South East is an industrial powerhouse, and its economic fortunes remain a critical aspect
of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The South East has over 35 million people. If the
South East works, Nigeria works.
“Some people describe the Igbo as the Nigerian Jews; geographically mobile, economically
enterprising and educationally ambitious. You are having the hope of the nation right in our
midst. The hope of the nation rests with Ndigbo.”
Earlier, Managing Director/CEO of NDPHC, Chiedu Ugbo, in a welcome address, said that the
formal launch of the South-East phase of the programme was geared towards providing steady
and reliable electricity supply to industrial and business clusters across Nigeria.
“These initiatives demonstrate the commitment and determination of President Tinubu’s
administration, working through NDPHC, to provide reliable and sustainable solutions to the
electricity challenge in the country, starting with reliable and affordable supply to industries.
“The first event in this series took place on October 12, 2023, in Agbara, Ogun State, South-
West Nigeria, where His Excellency engaged with the business community and committed to
providing the required electricity to power businesses in industrial areas across the country
through NDPHC.
“Since then, significant progress has been made on the Agbara Project, including identifying and
signing key industrial customers, conducting engineering surveys, negotiating transaction
agreements, and procuring OEM/EPC providers for the required transmission and distribution
projects,” Ugbo said.
Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, commended the Federal Government and the NDPHC
for the project, and enjoined industrialists of the region to fully key into it and take advantage of
the initiative to remove any bottlenecks they faced regarding power availability.
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, urged participants to ensure that they chart a clear
course for the development of steady power supply in the South East.
He appealed to the Federal Government to follow up the unbundling of the power sector with the
unbundling of the gas sector.
He argued that there was no way the power sector unbundling would work when state
governments do not have access to gas with which to power the power plants.
His Ebonyi State counterpart, Francis Nwifuru, said the issue of power in Nigeria had gone
beyond mere words and grammar, insisting that it was time for proper action to be taken to
address the lingering power challenge.
Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma,
urged Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu’s administration, saying that it was difficult to right the
wrongs of many decades in a few months.
He expressed satisfaction with moves made by the government to rejig the power sector and
bring industrialisation to the South East.
