Power minister Joseph Tegbe said on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu has no plan to increase electricity tariffs. Mr Tegbe said this in Ibadan while flagging off the 17.7MW hybrid solar mini-grid project, which includes a 17.74MW Battery Energy Storage System for communities in Oyo state.

The minister described reports of a planned tariff hike circulating on social media as misinformation and urged Nigerians to disregard it.

“I want to say this clearly and without ambiguity: there is no plan to increase electricity tariffs. What we are planning is a power sector that works round the clock,” he said.

He said the Tinubu government’s commitment to regular power supply starts with having three energy zones: the Lagos-Ogun corridor, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, and the Benin-Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.

He explained that the 17.7MW project would serve communities across Akinyele, Ido, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Lagelu council areas in Oyo. According to him, the interconnected mini-grid would improve supply to homes and businesses, reduce dependence on generators and create better conditions for investment and jobs in the beneficiary communities.

Mr Tegbe commended Mr Tinubu for his leadership under the Renewed Hope Agenda and appreciated the Olubadan of Ibadanland for his support. He also thanked the Rural Electrification Agency, Paras Energy, the World Bank, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and the Oyo government for their contributions.

He said the government plans to build and improve the national grid across the eastern, western and central corridors to ensure stability and extend the 24/7 power vision to every part of Nigeria.

Deolu Ijose, IBEDC’s managing director, said the new mini-grid project would provide electricity to 22,597 customers across five communities.

Mr Ijose said the project, developed by Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Limited, would provide 17.7MWp solar PV generation with battery storage to Bola, Jiboye, Molade-Adelubi, Ogo-Oluwa, and Sooko-Elega clusters.

According to him, IBEDC’s existing distribution infrastructure will be used to integrate and deliver electricity generated by Paras Energy. He said that this model would show how DisCos and private developers could collaborate to improve access.

Mr Ijose added that the project builds on IBEDC’s previous innovative interventions such as the Mokoloki Mini-Grid in Ogun and the recently commissioned Oke-Oyi mini-grid in Kwara. He then urged the host communities to protect the infrastructure.

REA’s boss, Abba Abubakar-Aliyu, said the project details are: 1.8 megawatts in Bola, Akinyele LGA and 3.5 megawatts in Jiboye, Ido LGA. Others are 6.9 megawatts in Molade, Ibadan North LGA; 3.6 megawatts in Ogo Oluwa, Egbeda LGA, and 1.9 megawatts in Sooko, Lagelu LGA.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, lauded the minister for including rural and underserved communities in various power reform projects. He urged the Oyo government to speed up work and complete its ongoing hybrid power project before 2027 for residents to start enjoying regular power supply.

Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by the commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Dahud Shangodoyin, said the government would continue to pursue practical electricity interventions across the state. He noted that the state government’s Hybrid Independent Power Project, meant to serve the state’s secretariat and other strategic public facilities, has a plant capacity of 11 MW.

(NAN)