The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to mobilise an additional 2,000 megawatts of electricity by March 2027, as part of efforts to strengthen power supply, attract investment and support round-the-clock economic activities.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed the plan on Saturday at the fourth Lagos Business School Africa Energy Conference 2026, held at the Honeywell Auditorium, Lagos Business School, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
Represented by his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the governor said the state was working to increase electricity supply from its current level of below 1,000MW to more than 3,000MW within the targeted period.
He explained that the additional supply would be sourced through multiple channels, including national grid allocations, independent power projects, energy hubs, power barges, energy traders and embedded generation.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that achieving the target would require coordinated improvements in electricity generation, transmission, distribution, gas supply and metering.
The governor also outlined a seven-point action plan to strengthen the Lagos electricity market. The plan includes expanding generation capacity, improving transmission infrastructure, strengthening distribution networks, enhancing metering, securing reliable gas supplies and deploying digital technologies to improve market transparency.
According to him, the state is working to upgrade substations and distribution feeders while expanding metering coverage to reduce estimated billing and improve electricity service delivery.
He added that the government was also pursuing clearer contractual obligations among market participants and stronger coordination between electricity operators and regulators to create an environment capable of attracting private investment.
On technology, Sanwo-Olu highlighted plans to deploy Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and the Lagos Electricity Intelligence Platform to improve monitoring, accountability and operational efficiency.
The governor also disclosed progress in the state’s renewable energy programme, noting that approximately 42,000 of the 50,000 streetlights earmarked for solarisation had been completed.
He added that solar installations had been completed in 175 public schools, with work ongoing in another 100.
Sanwo-Olu called on investors, financial institutions, energy operators and development partners to support the state’s electricity expansion plans, describing reliable power supply as critical to industrial development, job creation and improved living standards.
At the conference, Vice President of Deepwater Assets and Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, Ronald Adams, called for sustained implementation of Nigeria’s energy reforms to attract investment and accelerate oil and gas development.
Adams said Nigeria’s estimated 37 billion barrels of oil and condensate reserves and more than 250 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves offered substantial opportunities for economic growth.
However, he cautioned that natural resource abundance alone would not guarantee prosperity without competitive fiscal policies, regulatory certainty, efficient project approvals and effective implementation.
He also emphasised the role of natural gas in electricity generation, manufacturing and industrial development, urging stakeholders to focus on translating Nigeria’s energy resources into reliable power and productive economic activities.
Meanwhile, President of the Lagos Business School Energy Club, Sebilat Quadri, said the conference provided a platform for policymakers, investors, financiers, energy operators and academics to discuss solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
She noted that the country’s energy potential could only be realised through bankable projects, adequate capital mobilisation, critical infrastructure and measurable outcomes.
Earlier, Dean of Lagos Business School, Professor Olayinka David-West, said reliable, affordable and sustainable energy remained essential to Nigeria’s economic growth, industrial productivity and job creation.
She called for a comprehensive approach to addressing the policy, infrastructure, financing and market challenges affecting the country’s energy sector.
