Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, assured the industrialists around Agbara Industrial Clusters in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State that within the next four months, the problem of epileptic power supply to the area would become history.
He reiterated the determination of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to ensure adequate power supply across the country, especially in industrial clusters.
The Vice President gave the assurance during the Agbara Business Roundtable held in Agbara, Ogun State on Thursday.
The event was to launch an initiative to ensure dedicated power supply to industrial clusters across the country, starting with Agbara Industrial Estate.
Shettima said it was embarrassing that the Agbara Industrial Cluster relies on other sources of power supply aside from the national grid, adding that the Federal Government, through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, was committed to ensuring that clusters like Agbara benefit from a cheaper means of generating power in their various factories.
The Vice President, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NDPHC, said, “I am here to reassure the business community that we mean business. I want to give you my word and my word is my bond. if you need 200 megawatts, 300 megawatts, we can give it to you.
“Be rest assured, we are going to supply your power needs with no strings attached. We are giving power to Togo, I think we are giving 100 megawatts to Togo, and some of these nations are not even paying us. Why can’t we give to businesses that will pay us? It is just simple arithmetic; it is a matter of economics.”
He charged the staff of the NDPHC to double their effort by ensuring the delivery of the Agbara Industrial Cluster power programme in three to four months.
“It is all about advocacy, it is about people believing in you and I have the confidence of my boss, such that I can talk authoritatively. He is very passionate about the Nigerian project. He is very committed to repositioning this nation,” he added.
In his remarks, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said that without electricity, all infrastructure provided for the use of the people of the state and the country as a whole would be in vain.
“We believe that such initiatives like this speak to ensuring the sustainability of competitive industrialisation and one must not but salute this initiative.
“We, as a state, have gone ahead besides this Agbara Cluster, we have five other clusters. We have one by the Interchange called Remo Cluster, we are creating a new one called the Magboro Cluster. We are creating our own Aerotropolis, which is our special agro-processing zone, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria. We also have the Ijebu-Ode Cluster because we believe that it is through these clusters that we can jump-start socio-economic activities,” Abiodun said.
“These clusters, what do they seem to do, we provide the parcel of land, provide the needed infrastructure and this attracts industrial activities.
“But, without a doubt, without stable, reliable and clean power, all these initiatives will be in vain. So, to that extent, we are extremely excited,” also stated.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said ensuring adequate power supply in the country was complex because of the attitudes of Nigerians.
Minister of Power, Mr Bayo Adelabu, on his part, said the event marked a pivotal moment in the collective endeavour to fortify one of the backbones of the industrial landscape of the country.
