Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Ijede Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division in Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, may have good reasons to smile more in the coming weeks as the representative of Ikorodu federal constituency, Rep. Babajimi Benson, reveals that he is in talks with the management of Egbin Power PLC, to ensure that there is more power supply and other benefits to its host community.
Rep. Benson also revealed that there is a plan to activate the Electricity (Act) Amendment Act, 2024, which he sponsored and signed into Law in February, 2024 by President Bola Tinubu. The law requires power generating companies (GenCos) to set aside 5% of their actual operating expenses for host community development.
Egbin has an estimated installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts (MW), made up of six units of 220 MW each, with the facility bounded by the Lagos Lagoon to the south.
He made the revelation during the community engagement for the 2027 General Elections held at the Ijede Townhall.
Ijede LCDA with Ijede, Egbin, Abule Eko, Oke -Eletu and Igbe communities as major towns is host to the Egbin Power Plc, the largest thermal power generating station in Nigeria. It was commissioned between 1985 and 1986, and is generating the major share of electricity for the national grid.
“I do not see reason why Ijede should not be getting power supply better than other local governments. I myself and Hon.Aro Moshood Abiodun and Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo -Alogba are already talking about this and we are planning to meet with the management of Egbin Power PLC.”
“We are planning to activate the law that I sponsored and a meeting has been scheduled for October and we are going to also be discussing improved power supply for Ijede communities. It has to be more constant.
“All that we are asking from you is your support and believe in us,” Rep. Benson told the jubilant chieftains and members of Ijede LCDA Community Development Committee (CDC) and Community Development Associations (CDAs) that filled the hall to its capacity”.
The Electricity Act (Amendment) Law, 2024, seeks to address the development and environmental concerns of host communities, and sets aside five percent of the actual annual operating expenditures of power generating companies (GENCOs) from the preceding year for the development of their respective host communities.
It further provides that the funds set aside for the development of host communities will be received, managed, and administered for infrastructure development in the host communities by a reputable Trustee/Manager to be jointly appointed by the respective GENCO and their host community.
