Light Up Lagos 600km Network Of Roads, 366 Locations Lit Up Across State

The Lagos State Government on
Tuesday said that so far, about
600km network of roads and
streets in 366 locations across the
State has been lit up under the
‘Light Up Lagos’ project initiated by
the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
administration in the last one year.
The State’s Commissioner for
Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr.
Olawale Oluwo, who disclosed this
at the ongoing Ministerial Press
Briefing at the Bagauda Kaltho
Press Centre in Alausa, said the
project has seen the lighting up of
major areas of the State including
the Third Mainland Bridge, Ikeja
and environs, Berger to Iyana
Oworo axis, Muritala Muhammed
Airport Road, Oshodi axis amongst
others.
Oluwo said that in a bid to ensure
the sustainability of the project, the
State Government has fine-tuned
plans to engage 54 private firms,
who would be saddled with the
responsibility of managing the
streetlights going forward.
He explained that most of the street
lights are connected to the five
Independent Power Plants (IPP) in
Lagos State namely; Akute Power
Limited, Alausa Power Limited,
Mainland Power Limited, Island
Power Limited and Lekki
Peninsular Power Limited, which,
he said, saves the State Government
significant cost that would have
been incurred on operating and
maintaining generating sets.
“The saved resources are now being
channeled to lighting up more
locations within the State under the
operation “Light up Lagos”
initiative of the present
administration,” he said.
During the period under review,
the Commissioner also said that the
State Electricity Board rehabilitated
Public Street Lighting in the 366
locations including the
rehabilitation and connection of
part of the Third- Mainland Bridge
to the Island Power Plant all
measuring close to 600km of Roads
and Streets across the State.
He said that Governor Ambode has
also given approval for the
electrification of the 37 rural
communities around Seme Border,
adding that some streetlights
hitherto managed by the federal
agencies and local governments
had been taken over by the State
Government.
Oluwo however used the occasion
to warn against destruction of
streetlights pole and cables by the
residents, saying whoever damages
any street lights would bear the
cost of re-fixing them.
Following the discovery of crude oil
in the state by the Yinka Folawiyo
Petroleum Company, the
Commissioner said that the State
has established Ibile Oil and Gas to
manage oil related issues, assuring
that Lagos will be a bigger business
hub with the development as more
employment would be created.
Oluwo said: “What this means is
that we have own company that
will not run like NNPC. Our own
Ibile Oil and Gas will operate in
upstream, midstream and
downstream sector. It will not only
be involved in exploration but is
also going to probably build its own
petrol station.
“We must be able to give Lagos
Energy security such that if
anything happens outside or NNPC
shuts down operation, we must be
able to power Lagos on energy
basis. That is what Ibile Oil and Gas
Company of Lagos is all about. We
are interested in the future such
that we can put Lagos in the
position of having its own bloc.
That is for the federal government
to determine.”
Harping on the achievements in the
power sector, the commissioner
said that apart from aggressive
installation of streetlights in all the
nook and crannies of the state, the
ministry has embarked on rural
electrification and installation of
solar power systems for Schools
and Public Health Centers (PHCs)
which have, in turn, improved the
night economy, security, and
tourism development.
On procurement of electricity
transformers, Oluwo said that the
ministry installed 49 transformers
at various communities in Lagos,
adding that a total of 19 500KVA,
11KV/33KV transformers were
procured and installed in
Palmgroove, Gbagada and Alimosho
Estates.
“The second phase of our
community electrification
intervention plan is the
reconnection of 32 communities in
the Apa, Owode, Seme Border area
of Badagry which had been cut off
from the national grid for the past
16 years,” Oluwo said.


HABIB ARUNA
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY