Power Minister Commissions Transmission Projects In Lagos, Vows More Investments To End Blackouts

The Federal Government has pledged to intensify investment in electricity infrastructure across the country as part of efforts to improve power supply and address persistent blackouts.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, made this known on Tuesday in Lagos while commissioning two transmission projects in Alausa and Lekki.

The projects included a 1x100MVA, 132/33kV power transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation and additional transformers at the Lekki 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation.

Tegbe said the Federal Government would continue to invest in critical transmission infrastructure across the country, particularly in areas with significant industrial and economic activities.

 

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He said, “Again, like I said earlier in the day, I will conclude with a clear assurance. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains very firmly committed to the transformation of the Nigerian electricity sector.

“We’ll continue to support investment across the electricity value chain. We’ll invest in critical transmission infrastructure, both in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna-Kano corridor, Enugu, Port Harcourt, across the entire nation, especially where industry hubs sit.”

The minister’s declaration came a day after he announced that the country was targeting the ability to wheel 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December.

Tegbe said on Monday that the Federal Government was also targeting the commissioning of 20 transmission projects before the end of the year as part of measures to strengthen the national grid.

At the Lekki commissioning on Tuesday, he said the government would continue to expand transmission capacity in response to the rapid growth of the area. “So we won’t stop at doubling capacity; we will have to have another substation on this axis very soon,” he said.

The minister said the Lekki corridor had become one of the most important growth areas in Lagos and Nigeria, with residential, commercial and industrial developments driving electricity demand.

“Lekki axis, as I mentioned, is one of the most consequential growth corridors in Lagos and increasingly in Nigeria. It’s a corridor experiencing sustained residential, commercial, and industrial expansion, and it represents precisely the kind of location where electricity demand grows alongside investments and population growth,” Tegbe stated.

He said the government’s investment strategy would increasingly focus on areas where electricity could unlock production, investment, employment and economic value.

“And that is going to continue our focus, and that’s why I said this is an axis that we must take very seriously, we must concentrate on, and allow that expansion that is happening in Lekki to benefit from whatever we’re doing here,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Sule Abdulaziz, said the Alausa project would increase the substation’s capacity by 70MVA.

Abdulaziz, in his welcome address at the commissioning of the project, said the newly installed 1x100MVA, 132/33kV transformer replaced the existing 1x30MVA transformer.

“This installation replaces the substation’s existing 1x30MVA, 132/33kV transformer, increasing its capacity by 70MVA and raising total substation capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA. This significant upgrade enhances the substation’s ability to serve its growing load demand,” he said.

The TCN boss said the project, executed by Shanghai Electric Ltd under a World Bank-funded initiative which commenced in January 2021, would provide more stable electricity to at least 70,000 residents in Alausa and its environs through the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company.

“Upon energisation, it will deliver more stable and reliable power to at least 70,000 residents across Alausa and its environs, through the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company,” Abdulaziz stated.

He said the upgrade would also increase the volume of bulk electricity that TCN could wheel to distribution load centres.

“Beyond serving the immediate community, this upgrade meaningfully increases the quantum of bulk power that TCN can wheel to distribution load centers nationwide. It reinforces grid stability and ensures that more bulk power reaches the distribution companies’ load centers for onward delivery to electricity consumers within their franchise areas,” he said.

Abdulaziz said the project demonstrated TCN’s commitment to expanding the national transmission network to meet Nigeria’s growing electricity needs.

He added that the achievement aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s efforts to steadily improve the power sector.

At the Lekki substation, TCN also commissioned additional transformation capacity, with a 300MVA, 330/132kV transformer and two 60MVA, 132/33kV transformers forming part of the upgrade.

The Lekki project increased capacity at the 132/33kV level from 120MVA to 240MVA, while the wider project is designed to double capacity at the higher transformation level.

Tegbe said the government would also address electricity infrastructure challenges in other parts of Lagos. The minister also called on electricity distribution companies to complement the Federal Government’s investment in transmission infrastructure by improving their networks and ensuring that additional bulk power reached end users.

  

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New Military Jetty To Be Unveiled In Lagos

Nigeria is intensifying efforts to strengthen its indigenous defence industry, with plans to establish local production lines for armoured vehicles, anti-drone systems and other specialised military equipment.

The initiative is being driven by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria–D7G (DICON-D7G) in partnership with Eagles International for Defence Systems, with the objective of increasing technology transfer, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity and reducing the country’s dependence on imported military hardware.

DICON-D7G is also planning a strategic military jetty in Lagos within three months.

The Chief Executive Officer of DICON-D7G, Mr Osman Chennar, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen, following a two-day inspection tour of factories and military production facilities in Cairo by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, and his delegation.

 

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Chennar said the partnership would create more than 200 jobs while also providing employment opportunities for about 100 retired military personnel.

He said, “The partnership is expected to create employment for over 200 workers, in addition to providing opportunities for approximately 100 retired military personnel.”

According to him, the arrangement would facilitate the transfer of advanced defence technologies to Nigeria and enable the country to manufacture a wider range of military platforms for its armed forces and potentially other African countries.

Among the platforms targeted under the partnership are the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle BR6, Armoured Personnel Carrier cabin, 120mm manual mortar launcher cabin, and medical evacuation and ambulance cabins.

Others include the MRAP-Buffalo U.10 and M.12 armoured vehicles, MRAP-Buffalo F-4, Rhino Guard GXR anti-drone and RPG-protected vehicle, APC Moon PT6, GXR Phantom light vehicle and BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

Chennar said the development was part of a broader strategy to build a sustainable Nigerian defence manufacturing ecosystem capable of designing, assembling and producing military equipment locally.

The initiative comes as the Nigerian Army continues to receive locally manufactured armoured vehicles as part of efforts to strengthen indigenous defence production and enhance operational capacity.

Beyond vehicle manufacturing, DICON-D7G is also planning the development of a dedicated military jetty in Lagos to support the movement of raw materials, components and finished military equipment.

Chennar said the facility would serve as a strategic logistics hub for the supply and distribution of military equipment within Nigeria and across the African continent.

He further disclosed that the military jetty was expected to be launched within the next two to three months.

He added, “DICON-D7G has planned the launching of its Military Jetty in Lagos that will provide employment to over 200 retired military personnel with over 1,000 civilians when the project takes off in the next two to three months.”

The emerging defence-industrial strategy is expected to have wider economic implications, including retaining defence expenditure within the domestic economy, developing specialised technical skills and reducing Nigeria’s reliance on foreign suppliers.

The company said the planned facilities and production lines would ultimately position Nigeria to sustain its armed forces with locally produced equipment during prolonged security operations while creating the capacity to serve defence markets across Africa.

  

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Lagos Trains Children On Environmental Sustainability

    The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has engaged children on environmental sustainability at the 2026 Eco Explorers Bootcamp.

The bootcamp, held on Saturday at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja, was organised by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency and other partners to promote climate action and environmental sustainability.

Rather than relying solely on classroom instructions, the programme exposed the children to hands-on activities, including gardening, upcycling and science experiments.

During the gardening session, the participants were taught how to identify different plants, including spider lily, aglaonema, also known as Chinese evergreen, and hibiscus. They were also shown practical steps involved in planting and caring for plants, including the use of compost manure, planting materials and watering cans.

 

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The children were encouraged to identify the benefits of tree planting and gardens, with participants highlighting beautification, sustainability, carbon absorption and noise reduction among the benefits.

A facilitator during the session explained that planting trees and maintaining gardens could contribute to environmental sustainability while encouraging the children to take responsibility for their surroundings.

The participants also took part in an upcycling session, where they learnt how waste materials could be converted into useful resources. They were taught that organic waste could be processed into resources for gardening, while plastic waste could also be transformed into useful materials.

Speaking on the initiative, Bola Adewunmi, Director, Circular Economy, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), said the agency participated through LAWMA Academy and its Circular Economy Department to teach the children about waste management and resource recovery.

Adewunmi said the programme was aimed at helping children understand from an early age that waste could be converted into useful resources.

She said LAWMA’s approach was based on the belief that “waste is wealth,” adding that the children were being introduced to the concept through both lectures and practical sessions.

The science session also featured simple experiments aimed at helping the children understand environmental issues. One of the demonstrations involved food colouring, baking soda and bleach to show how chemical reactions could produce visible changes.

Mr. Elijah Adegoke of Kids Literary Circle (KLC), which participated in the programme, said the organisation was focused on making learning enjoyable for children.

Adegoke said the children were also taught about the impact of human activities on the environment, including the relationship between greenhouse gases, global warming and climate change.

He said practical demonstrations were used to make the concepts easier for the children to understand.

Also speaking, Mr. Ojo Oluwaseyi of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency said the agency’s participation was aimed at encouraging eco-friendly activities, including tree planting and gardening

Oluwaseyi said tree planting was one of the ways of mitigating the effects of climate change, urging the children to establish small gardens and share the knowledge gained with others.

The programme also involved parents, who participated in games and recreational activities while the children attended their various practical sessions.

The facilitators encouraged the children to see themselves as eco heroes with a responsibility to make decisions that promote a cleaner and healthier environment.

The bootcamp combined environmental education with practical activities, giving the participants an opportunity to learn about sustainability while applying the lessons through gardening, waste management and science experiments.

  

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Lagos Declares Thursday Work-Free In Celebration Of Yoruba Traditional Worshippers Day

The Lagos State Government has declared Thursday as a work-free day for public servants, political appointees and others in celebration of this year’s Yoruba Traditional Worshippers Day, which is expected to be the largest single gathering of traditional worshippers anywhere in the world, with over three million residents joining the celebration.

In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Idris Aregbe, described the day as “bigger than a holiday on a calendar.”

 

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“Yoruba Traditional Worshippers Day  is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.

He said the Yorubas are one of Africa’s largest ethnic nations, with more than 55 million people globally, and noted that they have continued to preserve and pass on Yoruba culture to their children.

According to him, the strength of that tradition has helped sustain Yoruba Traditional Worshippers Day  festivals in Cuba, Brazil, and the Caribbean, where many Yorubas live outside Africa to this day.

“When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.

The day marks the culmination of a full week of traditional activities, and has been observed as a work-free day in Lagos since 2023, following a request from the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has upheld the observance every year, in line with the administration’s commitment to indigenous values and religious inclusiveness under the THEMES+ Agenda.

Aregbe expressed appreciation to Sanwo-Olu for his support, while also paying tribute to the traditional institution.

“We thank His Excellency, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. It takes real conviction for a leader to stand publicly with heritage, and he has done so without hesitation and without apology. We also bow to Kábíyèsí, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, foremost custodian of Lagos culture, to all our royal fathers, our revered White Cap Chiefs, our Babaláwo and Ìyánífá, our Olóòrìṣà and every custodian and promoter who kept these rites alive when it was neither fashionable nor convenient. Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” he said.

This year’s celebrations will feature prayers, rituals, processions, drumming and cultural displays dedicated to the Òrìṣà, coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas (AATREN).

Aregbe urged all participants to celebrate peacefully and respectfully.

“Three million voices rising in honour of tradition is not noise. It is history, faith and cultural pride in harmony. Whether you worship in a mosque, a church or a grove, Yoruba Traditional Worshippers Day  belongs to you, because heritage has no denomination. Lagos remains the city where every heritage finds its 

place

.”

  

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