What we do differently to have 24/7 power in Abia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State says his administration remains determined to ensure a 24/7 electric supply across Abia because manufacturers spend a major portion of their resources on alternative power supply.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

Mr Otti spoke on Monday at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos State during the opening ceremony of Invest Lagos 3.0, which was broadcast live on Arise News TV.

The Invest Lagos 3.0 is a flagship investment programme designed to connect investors and policymakers to opportunities across all sectors of the Lagos economy.

The Abia governor said his administration, from the onset, focused on electricity supply after transforming markets across the state.

He explained that his focus shifted to stabilising electricity after he observed that markets were not functioning optimally due to insufficient power supply.

Mr Otti said the establishment of the Geometric Power in Aba by a private investor changed the situation in some parts of the state. Aba is Aba’s commercial hub.

“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 said.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

The governor said his administration recently signed an agreement with an electricity company, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to move Umuahia, the state’s capital, out of the company’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 said.

“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.”

Why Abia makes progress in healthcare and other sectors

Mr Otti stressed that he achieved modest results in the healthcare sector, road infrastructure, and other areas by setting up a 25-year development plan upon assuming office in 2023.

“In the last three years, we have built over 400 different roads. We’ve just put them together. Actually, there are 414 roads, measuring about 864 kilometres.

“We have another 82, measuring about 211 kilometres, that are ongoing. We want to provide the enabling environment for our people to do business,” he said.

The governor said that, in the transportation sector, his administration has launched 20 electric buses that began operating across the state in December, with another 20 buses expected from China next month.

“We are trying to make it easy for people to move throughout the nooks and crannies of the state on good roads with reliable electricity,” he explained.

READ ALSO: Abia governor, Alex Otti, announces retirement plan

Mr Otti boasted that Abia State has been rated the most health-prepared state in Nigeria in the SBM 2025 report, due to his administration’s significant investment in healthcare over the last three years.

“In the last three years, we have allocated 15% of our budget to health care. Now, we have refurbished about 277 primary health care centres, and about 135 of them have been functionalised.

“We’ve hired about 800 health care professionals. Some of them came from outside Nigeria to work in Abia State. So we have about 70 hospitals that we are rebuilding,” he said.

The governor said his administration was hoping to secure investment to end medical tourism outside Nigeria, noting that he had already acquired 200 hectares of land for the ambitious plan to build a world-class Abia Medical City.

“We’ve prepared it. We’ve built the road. But we need about $1.3 billion to put that in place.

“If it is true that every year, Nigerians spend about $2 billion to $2.5 billion or more on medical tourism, then we (Abia) are not greedy.

“We are just saying, if it is $2 billion, maybe $200 billion (out of it) should come to Abia State. So instead of flying to Dubai, flying to India, Turkey, and other countries, just come to Abia State (and receive the same quality healthcare service),” he added.