The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has flagged off five interconnected mini-grid projects with a combined capacity of 17.7 megawatts in Oyo State, assuring Nigerians that there is no plan to increase electricity tariff.
Tegbe gave the assurance at the groundbreaking ceremony for the projects in Ibadan, describing reports of an imminent tariff hike as misinformation that should be disregarded.
The five projects Bola, Jiboye, Molade-Adelubi, Ogo Oluwa and Sooko-Elega interconnected mini-grids are supported by a 17.74 megawatt battery energy storage system and spread across Akinyele, Ido, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Lagelu Local Government Areas.
According to the minister, the initiative will improve electricity supply to homes and businesses, reduce dependence on generators, extend business hours and create a more favourable environment for investment and job creation.
He said the project is part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand electricity access, noting that similar interventions supported by the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, have been implemented in Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa and Kaduna States.
Tegbe commended the REA, Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Limited, the project developer, the World Bank which provided the financing, and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC.
He also lauded the Oyo State Government, traditional rulers, community leaders, host communities and the Olubadan of Ibadanland for their support towards the realisation of the projects.
The minister said the Federal Government’s immediate priority is to achieve 24-hour electricity supply, beginning with three proposed energy zones the Lagos-Ogun corridor, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, and the Benin-Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.
He added that government plans to strengthen the national grid across the eastern and western corridors, including strategic generation and transmission locations such as Funtua, Kainji, Gwagwalada, Gombe, Makurdi, Ajaokuta, Ikot Ekpene, Benin and Egbin, to extend improved stability and reliability beyond the initial energy zones.
Tegbe formally flagged off the projects on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressing optimism that their completion would strengthen livelihoods and expand economic opportunities for residents of the benefiting communities.
He described the investment as an example of collaboration between government, private enterprise and development partners to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
