Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
April 21, 2015 – The Lagos State Government has said that it did not spend one kobo to deliver five Independent Power Plants (IPP)s with a combined input of 48 megawatts in the State.
General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board(LEB), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi made the revelation at a press briefing put together as part of activities to mark 2, 900 days of the Babatunde Fashola’s administration in Lagos.
She said that all the five power plants, Lagos Island IPP, Lagos Mainland IPP, Alausa IPP, Ajuwon IPP and the Lekki IPP were set up by means of Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement and the state government did not spend money but that it only provided facilities for the investors.
“All our IPPs were done by Public Private Partnership. The Lagos State Government did not pay for erecting any IPP. The private sector has built the IPPs, have it working and what we are paying for is the power provided just like how you are paying for your electricity”, she said.
She said that her agency has been able to raise the percentage of street lighting from 10 kilometres when her agency was set up to 100 kilometres now powered by IPP, adding that 120 public buildings are currently powered by IPPs.
She said that 47 streets in Mushin have been provided with street lighting attributing the development to high level of crime in the area as part of effort to mitigate the high level of crime.
Ogunbiyi explained that the Lagos State Government in partnership with the UK department for International development is providing solar power for 172 public schools including 30 boarding schools as well as 11 Primary Healthcare Centres(PHC) to reduce incidents of maternal mortality.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofic Ajibade Tijani said that the state government is providing solar power to public schools at a total cost of N29 million.
On distribution of Liquefied Natural Gas, Tijani said the state government has spent a total of N150 million to provide 3 kg of LPGs to residents of Lagos State adding that though the amount is small, government intends to scale up the exercise.
