Lagos, USAID partner on electrification

The Lagos State Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Programme (PA-NPSP) have signed a letter of cooperation to develop electrification plan for Lagos.

The agreement was reached at a virtual signing event where the representatives of the Lagos State Government and USAID Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Programme signed the letter of cooperation to formally launch the Lagos State Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) initiative.

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The Integrated Resource Plan, which will be developed in close coordination with PA-NPSP, will serve as a roadmap to guide the development and implementation of a comprehensive electrification strategy that is best suited to the long-term needs of Lagos State.

When developed, IRP will also be an effective tool for improved planning and decision making towards accelerating successful investment in the electricity sector and ultimately increase electricity accessibility and reliability in Lagos State.

At the signing ceremony, the Deputy Chief of Party for PA-NPSP, Mr. Tunde Gbajumo, emphasised the importance of collaborating with relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions.

He explained that PA-NPSP and the Lagos State Government would work closely with various stakeholders in the Lagos State power sector to develop IRP.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who spoke during the virtual signing ceremony, described IRP as a priority initiative for the Lagos State Government; adding that it underpinned the state’s electricity strategy to ensure access and reliability to residents.

In his remarks, USAID’s Mission Director, Mr. Stephen M. Haykin, explained that Power Africa recognised the importance of reliable electricity supply to Nigeria’s present and future; stating that the initiative served as a critical planning process to meet consumers’ needs for electricity services in a way that satisfied multiple objectives for resource use.

He pointed out that the roadmap would assist the state government and the state’s energy stakeholders to predict power system requirements for the next 20 years, enabling the effective and efficient management of energy resources.