A gas leak and a process upset at the Associated Gas Gathering (AGG) facilities near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have significantly disrupted electricity supply in the Aba Ring-fenced Area, which covers nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State.

Sources familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the press, revealed that the incidents occurred at the AGG installations in Obigbo and Agbada, both located on the outskirts of the Rivers State capital.

“The incidents are at Obigbo near Port Harcourt and at Agbada which is between Port Harcourt city and the airport,” stated one of the sources, an engineer with the NNPC Marketing Limited (NGML). He further explained that while the process upset at Obigbo had been identified earlier, “it does not seem as serious as that of Agbada.”

Engineer Vincent Chukwueke, a seasoned gas expert and former top executive at The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), said that the incidents likely prompted Heirs Energies, the operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17, to suspend gas supply for safety reasons. The affected gas feeds the 188MW Geometric Power Plant in the Osisioma Industrial Layout, Abia State, which supplies electricity to Aba Power for distribution across the Aba Ring-fenced Area.

“It had to suspend gas supplies so as to quickly resolve the issues at the AGGs,” Chukwueke said on Saturday.

Speaking with our correspondent by phone, Aba Power Managing Director, Ugo Opiegbe, confirmed that the company “has been constrained to make do with only 25MW from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) since yesterday when the supply from the embedded power plant was ceased.”

“The supply from the NDPHC is a fraction of what we can generate from our three turbines, as each produces 47MW,” he added.

While regretting that the electricity shortfall occurred during the Easter holidays, Opiegbe assured residents that efforts were underway to restore full supply soon.

“We are taking every step necessary to restore full supplies between today and tomorrow, so that our people can continue to enjoy the long holidays,” he said.

● Boniface Oyebanji

Lagos – Nigeria: The 2025 Lagos State Energy Summit kicked off on a high note on Tuesday, April 15, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declaring the summit open and reaffirming his administration’s resolve to deliver reliable and sustainable energy solutions for Africa’s most populous city. Held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, the summit attracted key players from the public and private energy sectors, including former Minister of Power and Chairman of Geometric Power Group, Professor Bart Nnaji, who delivered the keynote address.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while opening the summit, described Lagos as a beacon of innovation and progress in the Nigerian power sector. “Lagos has always led the way, and now we are taking even bolder steps to ensure that our residents have access to uninterrupted power supply,” he said. “With the new Electricity Act of 2023 empowering states to create and regulate their own electricity markets, Lagos is ready to harness this opportunity and drive the sector forward.”

The governor noted that energy is central to economic development and social well-being, and disclosed that his administration had already set in motion plans to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity through independent power projects. “This summit is not just a talk shop,” Sanwo-Olu emphasized. “It is a platform for building partnerships, charting policy directions, and ensuring that we meet the energy demands of a growing city.”

In his keynote address titled The Journey to Energy for All, Professor Bart Nnaji hailed Lagos State’s trailblazing role in Nigeria’s energy sector, recalling its pioneering move to partner with Enron Corporation in 1999 – long before power sector reforms were formally introduced. “The Lagos State Government took the radical step to bring in Enron, then the biggest electricity trader in the United States, to generate power in Nigeria,” he said. “That was a bold and visionary move under Governor Bola Tinubu.”

Nnaji, who was Nigeria’s Minister of Power in 2012 and a former Special Presidential Adviser on Power, recounted his personal history with Lagos State, including commissioning the 10MW gas-fired plant under Governor Babatunde Fashola. “For me, this summit feels like a homecoming,” he said, citing the 2010 launch of the national power sector roadmap in Lagos by then President Goodluck Jonathan, which he helped to craft.

The energy expert, however, sounded a note of caution regarding the sustainability of the power reforms being pursued by states. He warned that while state governments have the right to establish electricity regulatory commissions and initiate independent projects, they must adopt a commercial approach devoid of politically motivated subsidies. “Power enterprises must be run purely as commercial enterprises. There should be no room for subsidy, otherwise the DisCos will face financial ruin,” Nnaji warned.

According to him, the Federal Government currently spends over N200 billion monthly on electricity subsidies, a cost burden that no state in Nigeria can afford to replicate. “Even with state regulatory commissions, the issue of cost-reflective tariffs remains. If Lagos or any other state tries to subsidize electricity, it will only replicate the same failures that forced some DisCos into receivership,” he noted.

Nnaji welcomed reports that Ikeja Electric and Eko Electricity Distribution Company were establishing subsidiaries to manage Lagos’ internal power needs, describing it as “a positive development that ensures efficiency.” He urged the state government to adopt the embedded generation model used in Aba, where Geometric Power operates an independent and ring-fenced distribution network.

He further commended Lagos for its strategic and methodical approach to power development. “The state appears to have studied the experience of Rivers and Akwa Ibom before calling for bids to generate 4,000MW. This shows foresight and seriousness of purpose,” he said.

Highlighting the national energy deficit, Nnaji lamented that over 80 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity. “This is unacceptable in the 21st century. Algeria has long achieved full access, and there’s no reason Nigeria cannot do the same,” he stressed. He praised the summit organizers for selecting a theme that resonates with the country’s energy challenges.

He also called on Lagos to work with the Federal Government to address the nation’s worsening gas shortage, which he described as a paradox considering Nigeria’s proven gas reserves of over 210 trillion cubic feet. “We are a gas province with sprinkles of crude oil, yet our power plants and even the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company lack enough gas. It is an awful paradox with grave consequences,” he stated.

The summit featured high-level panel discussions on sustainable energy solutions, renewable energy integration, and the role of private capital in energy infrastructure. Participants agreed that Lagos was poised to play a transformative role in national energy development, provided it avoided the pitfalls that have undermined past efforts.

In closing, Professor Nnaji thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu and the summit organizers for the invitation to speak and called for unity of purpose in tackling the energy crisis. “I urge all stakeholders to move beyond talk and implement practical, sustainable solutions. The journey to energy for all is possible – if we act with clarity and courage.”

The summit continues with sessions focusing on regulatory frameworks, financing models, and gas supply optimization strategies as Lagos deepens its engagement with industry leaders, investors, and international development partners.

● Ferdy Agu 

In yet another milestone in its regulatory efforts to boost electricity supply in the state, the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission, EERC, has issued a 5MW power generation license to Tempo Power Solutions Ltd to set up a gas-fired plant.

This brings to a total of 15MW, the worth of power generation licenses issued by EERC since the successful completion of the transfer of regulatory oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to the agency on October 22, 2024, a feat it was the first state to achieve in the country.

Speaking during the issuance of the license at the EERC office in Enugu, Thursday, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Chijioke Okonkwo, said the milestone reflected the growing confidence that private sector players and investors reposed in the Enugu State electricity sector and in the enabling environment created for electricity business to thrive.

“Tempo Power swiftly took advantage of this opportunity offered by the conducive investment climate in Enugu State, engaged an off-taker and successfully completed the application process for the generation license.

“Their project is a model of proactive engagement and strategic partnership, and the successful deployment of this 5MW power plant is a collective win for all of us. We are confident that as the market grows, Tempo Power will continue to scale up its capacity.

“We acknowledge that this transformation was initiated by the visionary leadership of Governor Peter Mbah through the articulation of the Enugu State Electricity Policy 2023 and the enactment of the Enugu State Electricity Law also in 2023.

“Since we successfully completed the transfer of regulatory oversight from the national regulator (NERC) to EERC on 22nd October 2024, we have issued interim licenses, including an interim distribution license to Mainpower Electricity Distribution Limited and a 10MW generation license to Fedikore Limited.

We have successfully resolved over 60 customer complaint issues and we are equally reviewing four license applications covering generation, electricity distribution and electricity retail,” he stated.

While recognising the arduous work ahead, the EERC Chairman reiterated the Commission’s commitment to working collaboratively with stakeholders – electricity providers, policymakers, financiers, and communities – to deliver reliable, accessible, and sustainable power across the State.

He, therefore, advised other would-be investors to emulate Tempo Power by taking advantage of the abundant energy sources in the state and increasingly business-friendly environment being created by the Mbah Administration.

“Enugu State is open for energy business. We invite investors and developers to harness the wealth of natural energy resources in the State. The enabling environment fostered by the Government has made investment decisions easier and more attractive.

“Enugu State has witnessed transformative improvements that support the electricity sector development, including major upgrades in access roads and infrastructure, enhanced security of lives and property, targeted socio-economic initiatives, among others. These developments form the bedrock for electricity investment and most will serve as anchor loads to extend electricity to our underserved and unserved communities across the State.

“Today, we celebrate with Tempo Power Solutions. And soon, we will also celebrate with other licensees whose applications are undergoing review – across generation, distribution, and retailing of electricity,” Okonkwo concluded.

In his remark, the Exective Director of Tempo Power, Mr Collins Kalabare, commended Mbah for setting the pace in what states could do to solve Nigeria’s energy problem, and the EERC for running a professional and transparent system where investors do not need to know anybody to get things done fast.

“I must appreciate the EERC for the professional, business-minded and openness of their processes and operations. The process is seamless and you do not need to know anybody.

“EERC is indeed working according to the vision and speed of Gov Peter Mbah, who we have learnt is in a hurry to develop and make Enugu State*s economy grow and uplift the general status of residents and businesses.

“As a reputable and responsible company, we will be offering uninterrupted electricity supply, cost reflective tariff and electricity supply meant to add value to commercial and residential concerns as well as grow businesses and general economy of the state,” Kalabari said. GMTNewsng