Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called on stakeholders in the electricity sector to take decisive action to end persistent blackouts, saying reliable power supply is critical to the state’s economic growth and competitiveness.
The governor made the call at a high-level strategic town hall meeting held at the State House in Marina on Thursday. The meeting, themed “Ending the Culture of Blackouts and Building a Sustainable 24/7 Power Economy in Lagos State,” brought together government agencies, regulators, investors and private-sector operators to develop practical solutions for improving electricity supply.
Sanwo-Olu said Lagos could no longer afford repeated discussions without meaningful results, urging stakeholders to focus on implementation rather than promises.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector,” the governor said.
He noted that resolving the state’s electricity challenges is essential for supporting businesses, industries and households while unlocking long-term economic development.
The governor also highlighted recent reforms that decentralised Nigeria’s electricity sector, giving states greater authority to regulate and develop their own power markets.
“We, state governments, used to say everything was centralised. Now that the Federal Government has unbundled the sector, what have we done in the last year and a half?” he asked.
Sanwo-Olu acknowledged that despite the establishment of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC), electricity supply in the state remains inadequate.
“We take two steps forward and five steps backward,” he said, calling for an honest assessment of the structural and operational challenges affecting the sector.
The governor proposed a closed-door session involving key stakeholders to identify government and private-sector performance gaps and develop a practical, measurable roadmap for achieving stable electricity supply across Lagos.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Governor Kadri Hamzat, members of the Lagos State Executive Council and representatives of organisations including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the International Finance Corporation, the Africa Finance Corporation, LASERC and the Independent System Operator.
