IPP: Oyo understudies Lagos model
Oyo State is understudying the operations of the various Independent Power Projects (IPPs) initiated by the Lagos State government to provide uninterrupted power supply to state owned offices, establishments and street lighting.
A delegation from Oyo State which arrived Lagos on the mission, were taken to the various IPPs by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources led by the permanent secretary, Regina Obasa.
Lagos State government in collaboration with some private investors boasts of five IPPs with a combined capacity of 47.5 megawatts.
These include Lagos Island IPP, Mainland IPP, Akute IPP, Alausa and Lekki Peninsula IPPs.
Obasa who conducted the delegation round the project sites, explained that “the first IPP situated in Akute with an installed capacity of 12.16mw supplies electricity to the Akute intake of the state water works.
The Island power plant powers the Lagos House Marina, general hospital, high courts and public lightening on the island while the 8.5mw Peninsular IPP powers the water works in ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria island, Lekki- ikoyi bridge and other public lightening in the area”.
She noted that “the other power plant situated in Alausa with an installed capacity of 10.4mw, powers the state secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos Television and Radio stations, state printing corporation, staff quarter and public lightening within the secretariat while the 8.8mw Mainland IPP situated within the Ikeja GRA, powers state institutions and public lightening around that axis.
Obasa said that with uninterrupted power supply from the IPPs to power street lights and other state owned institutions, security, social and economic life of the citizenry have been improved tremendously.
Oyesola Oyedele, the permanent secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Works, who led the delegation expressed satisfaction with the progress made in Lagos with the IPP initiative.
He said the visit was necessitated by the desire of Oyo State to use the Lagos model in solving its energy crisis especially powering state owned institutions.
JOSHUA BASSEY