By Seun Ibiyemi
Industries and commercial businesses operating within the Idu Industrial Zone in Abuja are set to receive 24-hour electricity supply following the commencement of a 50-megawatt electrification project.
The project is a partnership between Welbeck Electricity Distribution Limited, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Shell Gas Limited, aimed at providing reliable electricity to factories and businesses within the industrial cluster.
The project will be implemented in phases, with the first phase expected to deliver 10MW by December 2026, while the remaining 40MW will be rolled out in 2027.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed details of the project during its groundbreaking ceremony, saying the Federal Government was also conducting comprehensive technical audits of electricity infrastructure across major industrial corridors in the country.
He identified the Lagos industrial axis, Abuja-Kaduna corridor and Enugu-Onitsha axis as priority areas for government intervention.
According to Tegbe, the Lagos industrial corridor accounts for about 40 per cent of national electricity demand, with the government targeting the creation or restoration of approximately 180,000 jobs in the area within six months through improved electricity infrastructure.
“Our target is that within six months we will fix the issues in the Lagos/Sagamu corridor regarding infrastructure and then move on to Abuja and then the Enugu-Onitsha axis,” Tegbe said.
The minister said reliable electricity supply to industrial consumers would require effective coordination among generation, transmission and distribution operators.
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“We need to ensure the transmission happens. And then even distribution. I am sure Abuja Disco is represented here, because if you want to effectively distribute to the industrial end users, there must be a handshake,” he said.
Tegbe also highlighted the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, particularly its decentralisation of the electricity sector, which allows sub-national governments and private-sector players to participate more actively in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
He said greater participation by states and private investors would help deepen investment across the electricity value chain and improve power supply to Nigerians.
According to the minister, the Idu project would provide a major boost to industrialisation and economic activity along the Abuja-Kaduna axis.
He, however, identified vandalism of electricity infrastructure as a major challenge to the sustainability of investments in the sector.
Tegbe urged communities to protect electricity infrastructure within their areas to ensure that the facilities remain operational and deliver the intended benefits.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Industry, John Owan Enoh, said reliable electricity was central to the Federal Government’s industrialisation strategy.
He said the government’s broader industrial agenda focuses on promoting local production, value addition, economic diversification and integrating Nigerian industries into global markets.
“When you produce locally, you contribute to job creation and provide our abundant youth with a pathway for employment,” Enoh said.
The project comes shortly after the commissioning of a 3MW hybrid mini-grid designed to provide 24-hour electricity to more than 58,000 students and residents of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly known as the University of Abuja.
Tegbe pledged the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the successful implementation of the Idu industrial power project.
