By Stella Odueme
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of selected electricity distribution companies as part of efforts to establish proposed Energy Zones that will provide reliable 24-hour electricity supply to high-demand areas across Nigeria.
The proposed Energy Zones will initially focus on three major economic corridors: the Lagos axis, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and Enugu-Port Harcourt axis.
The meeting, which forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity reliability, examined measures to strengthen power delivery to homes, businesses and industries within the targeted areas.
Tegbe said the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power sector go beyond generation and transmission, noting that adequate power must also be effectively taken up and delivered through the distribution network.
According to him, the Energy Zones are intended to bridge the distribution gap, unlock commercial and industrial demand, and improve revenue generation and collections by DisCos.
The Minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to invest in infrastructure in high-demand locations to ensure that electricity supply keeps pace with growing demand as the economy expands.
The engagement is part of Tegbe’s commitment to a disciplined and phased approach to addressing challenges across the power sector since assuming office.
It also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies reliable electricity supply as critical to economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
Those at the meeting included representatives of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ikeja Electric, Eko Power, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and Sahara Energy Group.