By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government have agreed to work together to deliver stable and reliable electricity to households, businesses and industries across the Lagos corridor under the 24/7 Energy Zones pilot programme approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The agreement was reached during a high-level technical meeting between the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House, Marina.
The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to address persistent electricity shortages and create a more reliable power supply for Nigeria’s major commercial and industrial centres.
The 24/7 Energy Zones pilot will commence in Lagos before extending to the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors, with plans to scale the initiative across other major economic hubs in the country.
Speaking at the meeting, Tegbe said the Ministry of Power had engaged electricity distribution companies and secured commitments from them to increase electricity offtake and provide steady and reliable power to customers along the Lagos corridor.
(Front row) L-R: Deputy Chief of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Sam Egube; Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Biodun Ogunleye; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Special Adviser to the President on Power, Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Dr. Mahmuda Mamman and others during the ministerial implementation retreat with Federal Authorities on the Clean Lagos Electricity Market (CLEM), at the Lagos House, Marina, on Monday, October 5, 2026.
He said the Federal Government was ready to work with the Lagos State Government to address critical challenges across four priority areas approved by President Tinubu: grid stabilisation, market liquidity, grid expansion, and governance and regulatory harmonisation.
The Minister stressed that collaboration between the Federal Government, Lagos State and key electricity market participants was critical to turning the 24/7 Energy Zones initiative into a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s power challenges.
Sanwo-Olu, in his remarks, commended the Federal Government delegation for what he described as its seriousness in tackling longstanding problems in the electricity sector.
The governor said Tegbe had demonstrated willingness and capacity to address some of the challenges confronting the sector since assuming office as Minister of Power.
He said Lagos was equally committed to finding pragmatic solutions that would improve electricity supply and strengthen the state’s economic competitiveness.
Sanwo-Olu stressed the need to develop a bankable, collaborative and competitive electricity market that would serve the needs of Lagos residents, businesses and industries.
According to him, reliable electricity remains critical to sustaining economic activities, attracting investment and reducing the operating costs confronting businesses across the state.
To translate the agreement into concrete action, Tegbe announced the establishment of a Joint Technical Committee to identify and resolve technical, regulatory and market-related challenges affecting the delivery of reliable electricity in Lagos.
The committee will be chaired by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and co-chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Energy.
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Its membership comprises representatives of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), Lagos Independent System Operator (LAISO), Lagos State Electricity Agency (LSEA) and the Office of the Minister of Power.
The committee is expected to examine the key bottlenecks in the electricity value chain and propose practical steps required to deliver the 24/7 power objective in the Lagos corridor.
Its recommendations will be submitted to a Steering Committee, which will provide strategic oversight for implementation.
The Steering Committee will be chaired by Governor Sanwo-Olu and co-chaired by Minister Tegbe.
Its membership will include the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Dr Lanre Babalola; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Alhaji Mahmuda Mamman; and Lagos State Commissioner for Energy, Biodun Ogunleye.
The structure is designed to ensure coordination between federal and state authorities while bringing regulators, grid operators and other key stakeholders into the implementation process.
The collaboration is expected to provide a coordinated framework for resolving issues around electricity generation, transmission, distribution, market liquidity and regulation.
The Lagos corridor is expected to serve as a major test of the Federal Government’s 24/7 Energy Zones strategy because of its concentration of industries, commercial activities and a large population.
If successfully implemented, the initiative could reduce reliance on expensive self-generation by businesses and households, lower operating costs and improve the competitiveness of industries in the state.
The Federal Government’s plan to extend the pilot to the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors is also expected to create a framework for replicating the model in other major economic centres.
The meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the President on Power, Dr Lanre Babalola; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Alhaji Mahmuda Mamman; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Energy, Biodun Ogunleye; and the Managing Directors of TCN, NISO and REA, alongside other senior federal and Lagos State officials.
