Dayo Ayeyemi, Author at Tribune Online

…bemoans crazy electricity bill by Discos The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has lamented the excessive estimated billing by electricity distribution companies, revealing that Eko Disco issued a N29 million bill to his residence at the State House this month. Before then, he said the disco brought a N2.7 million bill to his house for electricity consumption in March. In what he described as “crazy,” he said he actually procured a meter, but the inability to convert the facility has been a major problem. The deputy governor narrated this experience during the Round Table Meeting and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Lagos State Government and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Lagos. ALSO READ: NERC fines eight DisCos N628m for breaching energy caps The roundtable meeting was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The signing of the MoU signaled the extension of the power/electricity project to rural communities in Lagos. REA has already identified various communities in Epe, Badagry, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, and others for the intervention. The project will be financed by the Federal and State Governments, and other private participants in the ratio of 60 percent, 30 percent, and 10 percent. The deputy governor narrated his ordeal about estimated billing to emphasise the importance of the new renewable electricity project to be championed by REA. "Last month, in my house, the State House, the bill was N2.7 million. This month, the Eko Disco sent us a bill of N29 million. "It's crazy. So, we have actually procured a meter. I bought a meter to say, look, don't give me a crazy bill. I bought the meter, but to convert it, what happened?" the deputy governor said. He also narrated the experience of another person in Surulere. "In some areas in Lagos — I'm sure a lot of you know Lagos — there's a place called Oke Aguda in Surulere. "The people came to me, and I was asking them to calm down. The rent in a year is about N2 million, but EKEDC gave him a fee of N2.8 million in electricity. "Those are the challenges that we have. So, our people are suffering because of these meter bills. "What we are doing today looks very small. When the commissioner said we'll be signing these, we'll come tomorrow, I said why are you keeping us for three days? But I understand what he's trying to do. It's important. This is the need of the people," he said. Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, said that a total of over N200 billion has been spent in the country just for the importation of Photo Voltaic (PV) panels. Aliyu said his agency is set to change the narrative, striving for the domestication of the manufacturing of renewable equipment in the country. He said he believes that Lagos, being the centre of excellence, is going to lead a total war in that domestication drive. "While there is a need for that importation, one of the key things our agency is striving for is domesticating the manufacturing of this renewable equipment. Your Excellency, Lagos, being the centre of excellence, is going to lead a total war in that domestication," he said. To this end, he said the agency has already crystallized the emergence of a PV panel manufacturing plant in Lagos. "Here in Lagos, it's a 100-megawatt capacity, and they are over there; they started production," he said. The REA boss also hinted that the agency is in the process of signing a joint development agreement with Green World, a lithium battery assembly plant in Lagos. According to him, it is a $150 million investment taking place in Lagos. Before the REA's intervention, he said there was a PV panel manufacturing assembly plant in Ikotun, Lagos. "They started with 10 megawatts, but with the collaboration with REA, they have moved and increased their capacity to an additional 100-megawatt capacity," he said. He told Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Hamzat Obafemi, that this was what the agency has been doing to domesticate the manufacturing of solar equipment, especially in the state. Talking about innovation, he said, "We want to seek the approval of Lagos State to pioneer the first floating solar power plant in Lagos. "With the unique challenge of limited land availability in Lagos State, we want to deploy an 80-megawatt plant at the University of Lagos. "But we want to seek the approval of the state to give us that approval to make it a floating solar panel, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria. And we hope that that approval will be granted to us." He also revealed plans to sign the rooftop solar for public institutions, saying that Lagos State has been the first and only state that has qualified to benefit from this. REA has identified various communities in Epe, Badagry, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, and others for intervention. NIGERIAN TRIBUNE