FG Moves to Boost Power Supply to Abuja Industrial Cluster

The Nigerian federal government has announced plans to provide dedicated electricity to industrial clusters, starting with a 50-megawatt (MW) project at the Idu Industrial Estate in Abuja. The initiative, seen as a practical model for addressing energy constraints, was unveiled at a groundbreaking ceremony where Minister of State for Industry, Owan Enoh, emphasized the importance of dependable electricity for industrialization efforts.

Enoh stressed that increasing domestic production would create jobs, reduce reliance on imports, and conserve foreign exchange. The government aims to move beyond policy pronouncements by developing practical interventions that can be replicated in other industrial clusters across the country. The Idu project is viewed as a crucial step towards rebuilding the country's productive capacity, enhancing factory utilisation, local sourcing of raw materials, value addition, and employment.

The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's goal of expanding the economy to $1 trillion, which depends on higher productivity and deeper industrialisation. The federal government is also exploring captive and decentralised generation to deliver electricity directly to industrial consumers. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, highlighted major industrial corridors such as the Lagos industrial axis, Abuja-Kaduna corridor, and Enugu-Onitsha axis as priority areas for intervention.

Tegbe warned that providing sustainable power to industry requires investment across the entire electricity value chain, including gas supply, generation, transmission, and distribution. The 50-MW Idu project, managed by Welbeck Electricity Distribution Limited, will initially generate 10MW from a location near the AKK gas pipeline at Zuba.

The electricity will be transmitted to the Idu Industrial Estate through a 33-kilovolt line, with the remaining 40MW to be developed within the estate after the gas pipeline is extended.