The Lagos State Government has announced plans to provide 50 MegaWatts of electricity to residents for 20 hours per day through the Lagos State Electricity Policy.
Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, made this known in a statement signed on Saturday by Mr. Kayode Oyekanmi, Director Public Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Cooperatives (MCIC).
Sanwo-Olu stated that the project was part of his administration’s efforts to accelerate industrialization in the state.
The Governor went on to say that the Lagos State Electricity Policy Framework was designed to create a sub-national electricity sector that would be completely independent of the national grid and would serve the needs of the state’s households.
Sanwo-Olu praised the creativity and resilience of young industrialists and urged them to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the state government.
He mentioned finances, entrepreneurship, and technical assistance as examples.
Sanwo-Olu stated that they could use these to provide workable solutions to the state’s and country’s industrialization challenges.
“Now is the time to think outside the box.” For example, you could consider developing machines that refine raw materials in low-quality batches at first, but run entirely on solar or other forms of clean energy.
“It is not the time to think about what we don’t have; rather, it is the time to maximize the opportunities that we do have,” Sanwo- Olu said.
“I want you to know that we, as a society, expect more from you in terms of innovation and creativity that will put an end to Africa’s industrialisation challenges,” he said.
He assured that his administration would continue to listen to all ideas put forward by the public.
Dr Lola Akande, Commissioner, MCIC, also pledged the ministry’s commitment to continue facilitating a conducive environment for commerce to thrive.
She stated that the government was prepared to provide the necessary promotional assistance through policies and programs in order to achieve a sustainable business environment.
Akande challenged stakeholders and blue-chip companies to rise to the challenge of mentoring and supporting young industrialists in the state in order to improve industry productivity.