Lagos to host energy summit on 10 November, seeks private investors
- Lagos will hold a two-day energy summit on 10 November, with 1,500 to 2,000 stakeholders expected.
- Energy commissioner Biodun Ogunleye says the goal is action on power supply, metering and clean energy.
- The state wants private investors to help fix electricity as it pushes CNG and electric vehicles.
Lagos State will host an energy summit on 10 November, with the government saying it wants to turn years of talk about poor electricity into practical steps. The state's Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, announced the plan at a press conference on Thursday.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people are expected at the event, which is themed Lagos Energy Evolution. They include regulators, electricity distribution companies, power generators, investors, energy suppliers, engineers, academics and development partners.
The timing matters for ordinary Lagos residents and businesses, many of whom still battle unstable power and rely on generators and fuel. Ogunleye said the summit is meant to move discussions "beyond policy declarations to actionable solutions" that can improve supply, widen access and strengthen the state's economy.
What the summit will focus on
According to the commissioner, talks will centre on energy sufficiency, affordability and accessibility, metering, clean energy, electric mobility and efficient infrastructure. He said Lagos, as Nigeria's commercial and industrial centre, should lead with solutions other states can copy, and energy commissioners from other states are expected to attend.
Ogunleye named Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric vehicles and other emerging clean technologies as key parts of the state's energy transition, saying the summit will look at investment opportunities and how they can work in practice.
He also said private operators are showing growing interest in partnering with the state to expand infrastructure and fix constraints in the electricity market. Government alone, he argued, cannot deliver the scale of change needed.
The summit will also showcase the state's Clean Energy Initiative, which will give secondary school students a chance to present projects developed in their schools and communities. Ogunleye described it as an investment in young innovators.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ibilola Kasunmu, said the gathering was conceived to bring the whole electricity value chain together to identify problems and develop solutions jointly. She urged operators and members of the public to register and take part.
No specific funding figures, new power targets or timelines were announced at the press conference.
What happens next
The summit holds on 10 November. Nigerians will be watching to see whether it produces concrete commitments from investors and clear steps on metering and supply, rather than another round of declarations.
