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The hope of the people of Imo state to have steady electricity across their state has been renewed by Hope Uzodimma, their governor. He approached governance with his mind set on solving nagging problems. And, he is doing so. As everyone had attested, the elephant in the room has always been the lack of electricity to power businesses, factories, living and life. Many who came before Uzodimma were unable to do much due to the legal regime governing electricity generation and distribution. For this, Imo operated what Uzodimma aptly described as a ‘generator economy.’ The consequences were dire -factories could not sustain the cost of fueling generators and shut down. Small and medium-scale enterprises scaled down operations because the cost of production, which was driven upwards by a destabilising diesel price regime, left bigger holes in their pockets. The situation also negatively impacted the digitalisation programme of the government and forced ICT-savvy youths to look elsewhere. But, with the official commissioning of Phase One of the Light-Up Imo Project, powered by the Orashi Electricity Company, Uzodimma shows that there is hope for the re-industrialisation, digitalisation and regeneration of the Imo economy as a sovereign energy state.
On a momentous occasion, the governor switched on phase one of the Orashi Power project, a landmark achievement that epitomises his commitment to the “Light-Up Imo” good governance programme. This achievement is not merely an infrastructural feat. It is rather a strategic imperative designed to dismantle the entrenched “generator-economy” that has long stifled economic progress in Imo and forced a loss of trust in government. By heralding the advent of reliable electricity, Uzodimma takes a major leap forward toward industrialisation, digitalisation, and the restoration of investor confidence. That action propels Imo State toward the audacious vision of building a trillion-dollar economy.
The propriety of this action cannot be overstated. In a nation where power outages are synonymous with economic stagnation, Governor Uzodimma’s decisive intervention underscores prudent governance and the ability to translate policy into verifiable action. It aligns seamlessly with his administration’s determination to reposition Imo as a beacon of development. Thus far, Uzodimma’s visionary leadership has taken Imo State through a most strategic, transformative era. This is the reason the Leadership Newspaper is adding a feather to his cap with the award of Governor of the Year. The honour follows the Governor of the Year conferred on him by The Sun at its 19th The Sun Awards and Infrastructure Governor of the Year by Vanguard in 2025.
For decades, Nigeria’s power sector has been a paradox of potential and paralysis. The national grid, plagued by inefficiency, supplies less than 5,000 megawatts to over 200 million people, forcing businesses and households to rely on costly diesel and petrol generators. In Imo State, this “generator-economy” exacted a heavy toll. Small-scale enterprises spend up to 40% of their operating costs on fuel, while industries grapple with erratic supply, leading to frequent shutdowns and lost productivity. The environmental cost is equally alarming as emissions from generators contribute to air pollution, which exacerbates health issues in urban centres like Owerri.
Governor Uzodimma’s Light-Up Imo programme confronts this malaise head-on. Launched as a cornerstone of his administration, it promises 24/7 electricity through a mix of embedded power generation, solar integration, and public-private partnerships. The Orashi Power project, with its phase one activation, injects about 100 megawatts into the state’s power grid. Sited along the Orashi River, it leverages hydroelectric potential, supplemented by gas turbines to ensure a stable, renewable-leaning supply. This is no superficial gesture. It is a proprietary move, which is both appropriate and ownership-driven, and affirms Imo state’s sovereignty over its energy destiny.
By personally switching on phase one of the project, Uzodimma demonstrates accountability and puts pressure on the energy company to accelerate the timeline for full operationalisation of the other phases, which will scale up capacity to 500 megawatts to power industrial clusters in the state. This phased approach underscores fiscal prudence, minimises risks, but maximises impact.
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The immediate impact of the commissioning of Orashi Power is the death of Imo’s generator economy and the unleashing of economic vitality, where entrepreneurs will no longer burn millions in fuel costs. This shift is profoundly Imo and promises to reclaim resources previously siphoned into imports of generators and fuel, and redirect them to other impactful productive investments. It also means that the industrialisation of Imo gets a whole new impetus. Imo boasts of rich deposits of natural gas, clay, and limestone, which are ideal for manufacturing. Reliable power will spur the revival of ‘idle’ factories and create new jobs.
Consider possibilities in the automotive sector, for instance. With consistent electricity, assembly plants for electric vehicles could thrive and leverage Nigeria’s push toward green energy. Digitalisation follows suit. Data centres, once deterred by outages, can now host cloud services, fostering fintech hubs similar to Yaba Silicon Valley. 5G rollout, dependent on stable backhaul power, will enable IoT applications in agriculture, and push the optimisation of palm oil production, which is a key Imo export. No doubt, these developments restore investor confidence, which was eroded by years of uncertainty. Already, indigenous conglomerates like Innoson Group have praised the initiative and signalled plans for expansion into Imo. The feat will also enhance foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, and the African Development Bank and World Bank, which are already eyeing Nigeria’s power reforms, will most likely prioritise states like Imo, which has hit national consciousness with demonstrable progress. A huge positive for the Uzodimma era.
The Orashi Power feat is central to Governor Uzodimma’s vision of a trillion-dollar economy for Imo. Though ambitious, it is grounded in realism. With a population of over 5 million and a strategic location, Imo can emulate Dubai’s model and migrate from oil dependency to diversified hubs in manufacturing, tech, and tourism. Constant power is the main enabler. Economists suggest that a 1% increase in electricity access boosts GDP by 0.5-1%. Scaled to Imo, Orashi Power could add ₦500 billion annually to the state’s coffers within five years. Already, with a Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) survey revealing losses exceeding ₦200 billion yearly from blackouts, Orashi Power hits reality as a reversal of the trend. The Orashi corridor, as planned, will host free trade zones, offer tax holidays and streamline approvals under Uzodimma’s “Ease of Doing Business” reforms. This could account for the creation of 2,000 direct jobs in construction and operations, with indirect employment in supply chains multiplying to 10,000, with youth unemployment dropping radically as demand for skills in engineering and IT rise alongside better prospects for tailors, welders, bakers, etc., to operate cost-effectively.
The feat will also impact the crime rate. Power and security are inextricably linked. Darkness breeds crime while light deters it. Imo’s urban-rural divide has fueled kidnappings, armed robberies, and cult clashes, with police data showing a 25% spike during outages. With Orashi Power powering streetlights, CCTV networks, and police stations with unwavering supply, night crimes could drop by up to 50%, while solar hybrids, which power vigilance committees, could boost security in rural communities. The development also impacts law enforcement as power fosters real-time analytics, drone surveillance, and rapid response in command centres. This adds to Governor Uzodimma’s “Operation Secure Imo,” integrating state security outfits with tech-driven policing. This translates to a drop in investor security spending and an enhancement of FDIs.
The impact of the feat will also be felt across social services, which thrive on electricity. Orashi Power will impact hospitals and ensure uninterrupted ventilators, CT scanners, and vaccine fridges, slashing maternal mortality by 20%. It will boost e-learning platforms, with about 1,000 schools gaining connectivity, and aligning with Uzodimma’s digital curriculum, while water schemes pump ceaselessly, curbing cholera outbreaks.
The switching on of Orashi Power phase one by Governor Uzodimma was a masterstroke. It was timely, transformative, and visionary. It buries the generator-economy, and unleashes industrialisation and digitalisation, restores investor faith, and hurtles Imo toward a trillion-dollar future. The benefits are numerous. As phase two looms, Imo emerges as Nigeria’s sovereign state energy pioneer, and Uzodimma demonstrates that governance is about impact; the sort of impact that Gen. Murtala Mohammed made in 1976 when he created Imo state within his seven months in office, and the sort that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made when he unbundled the Electricity law allowing states like Uzodimma’s Imo, with vision and capacity, to regenerate their economies through investment in power generation and distribution.
