Encomium
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) at the weekend extended the frontiers of public advocacy for energy conservation through the major social media platform, Live Google Plus Hangout stressing that sustainability will be achieved when people start seeing the benefits of conserving energy.
Organised by the State Government’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as part of its Energy Conservation Month and hosted by the Rap Star, Jude M.I Abaga, the Live Google Hangout enabled Governor Fashola to answer questions relating to energy conservation and power generation from a broad spectrum of the society ranging from Children, the youth, market women and Nigerians in the diaspora.
The Governor reiterated that the key to sustainability in power conservation is for people to begin to see the benefit in terms of money saved, adding that he has become the energy Police in his house by ensuring that everyone switches off the energy not being used. He noted that the efforts has paid off with the Marina residence of the first family paying 40 per cent less for energy on a monthly basis while the supply is also more regular.
While giving an insight into the energy plan of the state government, Governor Fashola informed that apart from the Ikorodu Power Plant that was built by the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu which generated 270mw which went to the national grid but never dedicated to the state even when the national government deducted its revenue from source for it, the present government has built another 12 mw to power her water supply at Akute.
He explained that the State has also built a 10 mw Independent Power Project on the Island which currently powers the General hospitals, the courts, the State House, some schools, churches and mosques on the island, the City Hall, the e-learning centre and so many public utilities.
“Essentially what we have done is to work within the framework of the Power Reform Act working with the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to provide our power where we can control and domicile the power for our own use. At this moment, we have concluded the dedicated power for Alausa, the seat of government and in a few days time during the energy month in October, we will switch it on and take off the whole of Alausa off the public power grid”, the Governor said.
He stressed that today, Lagos gets about 1000mw but that the more of the self generated power it can produce as government and consume the better because it means that citizens can access what the government offices no longer use thus freeing up more energy for the use of the public.
Governor Fashola also stated that two other plants which are billed for completion next year are the Mainland Power Plant that will serve the GRA powering hospitals like the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the Police Command, the High Court, the Waterworks that are all on Oba Akinjobi street, GRA and secondly the IPP which will power the waterworks in Lekki and some street lights and other amenities.
Noting that the state already has a well thought out road map to sustainable power production, the Governor said part of this includes a Lagos Energy Academy that will soon come on stream.
He explained that when the academy comes into being it would be a major assembly for bulb heads for street lightings and for traffic lights and so many appliances that will be used in Lagos.
He added that all of the poles that are being seen on the streets now are made in Lagos and designed by the Lagos State Electricity Board, adding that the present administration is building an army of more aware people and a new economy.
The Governor who was responding to a question on whether the energy policy of the state government is simply about the activities of the Kids Clubs and the new Independent Power Plants said it goes beyond that and that currently, young people are retrofitting bulbs and providing consultancy in public utilities and buildings.
He explained that the street lights at night is already giving boost to traders selling beyond 7pm when ordinarily they would have closed, adding that the energy policy of the state is about creating awareness on energy conservation and sharing the roadmap of the state on energy.
Governor Fashola who also spoke on the cost of energy saving bulbs said what should be considered is that an individual does not buy bulbs everyday but uses light everyday and if energy is saved every day, it would translate to more savings in monetary terms.
He added that the energy bulbs saves eight times the amount of money that would have been expended on electricity everyday using the regular bulbs which translates into saving more energy and putting more money in the pocket.
He stated that with the introduction of retrofitted bulbs in Alausa Secretariat, the government is saving N2.8Million monthly on its energy spending since the introduction of the energy saving bulbs and is making sustained efforts at raising awareness among the populace on power conservation.
Speaking on what efforts is being made to introduce solar power in schools in the state; the Governor said the state is already looking at how to increase power supply to the schools through solar power.
“At the moment about 16 schools on the island are already connected to the IPP that we put together. There is so much that we are doing in order to increase power supply to the schools. We are also monitoring the energy demand in all the schools. Very soon you will see an improvement in power supply to schools”, he stressed.
He said at the last count, the State Government has audited 1300 buildings, offices and restaurants and discovered that there were over 17000 generators in those places which has resulted in many Lagosians paying four times more through the generation of their own power rather than taking from the national grid.
“In a place like Magodo, the whole estate is spending N8 million on diesel daily while it was connected to the grid but will now spend a little over N2 million at N12.75k per kilowatts per hour. In Lekki, they spend N12 million daily on their own energy when on the public power; they will pay a little over N3 m as rate. Just by switching appliances off alone, you save 15 percent at the start and it is in our enlightened best interest to engage in energy conservation through which we can also reduce poverty”, he stressed.
