Nigeria Launches 24/7 Energy Zones Pilot in Lagos

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government have partnered to implement the 24/7 Energy Zones pilot, an initiative approved by President Bola Tinubu to provide stable, round-the-clock electricity to major commercial and industrial centers. The program begins in Lagos, which was selected as the initial site because it accounts for 40% to 50% of the nation's electricity demand.

Following a Ministerial Implementation Retreat on the Clean Lagos Electricity Market, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe established a governance framework to oversee the project. A Steering Committee, chaired by Sanwo-Olu and co-chaired by Tegbe, will supervise the initiative, while a Joint Technical Committee will coordinate interventions to resolve regulatory, technical, and operational bottlenecks.

The project focuses on four priority areas: grid stabilization, market liquidity, grid expansion, and regulatory harmonization. The Federal Ministry of Power has already secured commitments from distribution companies to increase power offtake to ensure reliable delivery along the Lagos corridor.

Once the pilot is established in Lagos, the government plans to extend the 24/7 Energy Zones to other critical economic corridors, specifically the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Enugu-Port Harcourt axes.