Kwara State Commissioner for Energy, Abdulazeez Kola Abdulganiy, has reaffirmed the state government’s staunch commitment to overhauling the energy sector. This revitalization effort aims to enable the state to independently generate power in compliance with the Nigeria Electricity Act of 2023, thereby ensuring a well-managed electricity system that facilitates robust socio-economic advancement within the state.
During a courtesy visit to his office in Ilorin, Abdulganiy expressed his determination to reinvigorate the state’s energy landscape for sustained progress. He emphasized the need for streamlined electricity generation, efficient transmission, and effective distribution to bolster socio-economic development.
The recently enacted Electricity Act, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 9, 2023, empowers states to regulate their electricity markets, bestow licenses to private investors for the establishment of power plants, develop distribution networks, operate mini-grids, and facilitate power distribution to establish the State Electricity Market (SEM). Furthermore, the act encourages the integration of renewable energy sources into the existing energy paradigm at the state level.
Abdulganiy assured the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) delegation of the Ministry’s wholehearted collaboration while urging them to work in tandem with the ministry to realize their shared objectives.
Addressing the imperative need for cooperation between NESREA and the Ministry, Kwara State Coordinator of NESREA, Mrs. Aremu Zainab Arike, articulated the necessity for stringent environmental regulation within the energy sector. She emphasized that the primary goal of this regulatory framework is to forestall pollution and promote operational efficiency in the energy sector to foster sustainable economic development. Additionally, the regulation seeks to conduct environmental assessments and curtail environmental pollution.
Elaborating on NESREA’s role, Chief Scientific Officer, Audu Mayowa, expounded on the agency’s mandate to conduct inspections on new projects to ascertain their environmental compatibility and mitigate the impact of global warming within the state.
In charting this new course for the energy sector, Kwara State appears poised to set a precedent for progressive energy reforms with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and socio-economic development.
