Lagos eyes full metering as stakeholders push Electricity Act implementation
Sodiq Omolaoye, Abuja
The Lagos State Government has said it is committed to achieving 100 per cent metering as part of a broader strategy to enhance electricity access for residents and drive renewable energy adoption.
This comes as energy experts and industry stakeholders call for the full implementation of Nigeria’s Electricity Law, saying the legislation has the potential to address persistent blackouts and create a sustainable energy market.
Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, who disclosed this at a policy dialogue on renewable energy in Abuja on Wednesday, stressed the need for strong legal and financial frameworks to attract investment in the power sector.
The event, themed “Strategies for Building a Strong and Effective Coalition in Support of Renewable Energy in Nigeria,” was co-hosted by Natural Justice, Just Energy Transition Africa, and the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria.
The commissioner, while presenting a keynote address on the Lagos State Electricity Law, 2024 (LSEL), observed that the state is strategically deploying renewable energy across five key sectors.
He said that a well-structured electricity market, backed by the new law, would drive investment in power generation, transmission, and distribution, leading to improved service delivery.
Ogunleye said: “Lagos is putting a lot of resources into renewables, and a key one is the fact that we have five areas where we are deploying renewables. One is our streetlight infrastructure. The second is our tertiary institutions. The third is our basic educational institutions. Then, we have our hospitals.
“Additionally, there are several critical needs for the state itself that we are also transitioning to renewable infrastructure. Over and above that, the state government is encouraging grid-connected renewable infrastructure to come online to help ensure grid stability and reduce electricity costs.
“However, the Lagos electricity market is working to ensure transparency in every part of the process. Value-for-money principles, balance clearing, and a high level of automation are being incorporated into achieving 100 per cent metering. That is something the Governor has always emphasized, and we must ensure it happens.”
Speaking, the Country Manager of Natural Justice, Michael Keania Karikpo, expressed optimism that the discussions would lead to concrete steps toward Nigeria’s sustainable energy transition.
According to Karikpo, Nigeria stands at an energy crossroads, adding that with the right policies and institutional frameworks, the country could become a renewable energy powerhouse in West Africa.
“As the global community dials back on renewable energy commitments, and as the OPEC president is urging Africa to unlock its over 120 billion barrels of crude oil reserves and to disregard misguided policies at the ongoing energy summit in Aso Rock Villa, it is incumbent on us to discover viable alternative economic development pathways for our country that provide the same quantum of revenue that fossil fuels bring in but without their devastating ecological impacts.
“Increasing renewable energy ambition in Nigeria will require the country to attract the right type of domestic and international investments. We must create the enabling policy environment that supports domestic capacity to compete effectively in the manufacturing of renewable energy for Nigeria and the West African subregion,” he said.
