Governor Otti Shares Plans for 24/7 Power in Abia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State says he is committed to providing 24-hour electricity across Abia. He noted that manufacturers spend a lot of money on alternative power supply.

Mr Otti spoke on Monday at Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos during the launch of Invest Lagos 3.0. The event was shown live on Arise News TV.

Invest Lagos 3.0 is an investment program aimed at connecting investors with opportunities in Lagos. It covers many sectors of the Lagos economy.

The Abia governor said his government prioritized electricity supply after upgrading markets across the state. He mentioned that his focus changed to stabilizing electricity after seeing that markets were not performing well due to lack of power.

Mr Otti said the creation of the Geometric Power plant in Aba by a private investor improved the situation in some areas. Aba is the commercial hub of the state.

“Today, Aba has an island that includes eight more local governments, literally out of the national grid. And Aba has been reinforced as an island. And they have 24-hour power as we speak,” he stated.

The governor revealed that his government signed a new agreement with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). This move will take Umuahia, the state’s capital, out of EEDC’s control.

“Also, out of EEDC, we set up the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency. And what we want to do is to have control of power in our own hands. We believe that Geometric, at a maximum capacity of 188 megawatts, would have excess capacity.

“And we can just will it to Umuahia and other parts of the state. And by God’s grace, in a few years, we should also guarantee 24-hour power supply in Umuahia and other local governments,” he added.

“Now, why does this matter? It matters because a lot of manufacturers, industries, about 60 to 70 per cent of their cost is in energy.”