Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Federal Government on Monday flagged off “Light Up Nigeria Project’ in the South-East, aimed at providing electricity across the country.
Flagging of the project in Enugu during the South East Business Roundtable, the Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, said the project was the reassurance of the Federal Government’s responsibility towards expansion of the country’s industrial sector.
He said, “We gather here today to embark on transformative journey, the launch of the Light of Nigeria project in the South-Eastern states.
“What we are witnessing is the second launch of the strategic collaboration with the Nigeria Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and other invaluable partners.
“We are sure of the direct pursuit of the priority set by his Excellency, President Bola Tinubu and the project is a long awaited solution to the power supply that undermine the economy,” he said.
Shettima, who is the Chairman, Board of Directors, NDPHC, said the intervention was a calculated endeavour to engineer the nation’s economy, serve as the oil wheel of industries and improve Nigeria power supply.
While describing South-East as the “industrial power of the country,” the vice president said the project remained a critical priority of President Tinubu.
“Igbos are enterprising, practically mobile and educationally ambitious. You are the hope of the nation.
“I can assure you that President Tinubu means well for Nigeria and Ndigbo and South-East; the South-East governors are among the best in the country,” he said.
Speaking, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, said the Federal Government would pursue the project to achieve its objectives, stressing that it would turn around power issues in the country and create jobs for Nigerians.
According to him, the project has been structured to resolve major challenges in the Nigeria electricity supply industry since the privatisation in 2013.
He regretted that in spite of the huge investment in the sector, power supply had not improved but kept deteriorating.
“Since I was I born, we have experienced same issue and currently, we are generating only 4000 mega watts which is one of the fundamental issues this administration is trying to address,” he said.
On his part, the Managing Director, NDPHC, Mr Chinedu Ugbo, added that the project was part of historic initiative by the Federal Government to address the issue of electricity in the country.
He said that the project demonstrated commitment, determination and intervention of President Tinubu’s administration and the NDPHC to provide reliable and sustainable solutions to the electricity challenge in the country starting with affordable power supply to the industries.
He said that the launch of the project first took place in Ogun State where Shettima engaged the business community by assuring them that FG were committed to provide electricity to power businesses in the industrial area across the country.
Ugbo described NDPHC as the government owned company responsible for implementing the national integrated power projects.
In a welcome address, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, said the project signaled a new dawn for power and industrialisation of the South-East region.
The governor said the initiative aligned with his administration’s disruptive approach to governance underpinned by thinking outside the box.
Mbah commended the Federal Government and the NDPHC for coming up with the project to ramp up power supply to industrial clusters in the South-East, and implored industrialists of the region to fully key into it.
He pledged his government’s continued support to industrialists and other private investors across the state to complement the undeniable boost that the Light-up Nigeria Project would bring.
The project is expected to take light to every part of Nigeria including the remotest area of the country.
The event afforded industrialists in the region during Business Roundtable opportunity to interact with the vice president on their challenges as regards power issues.
The event was attended by Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo State; Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi; and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, as well prominent personalities and top Government Officials in the South-East.
