In a significant move to enhance power infrastructure for manufacturers and business owners in Nigeria, the Federal Government has announced the connection of the Agbara Industrial Hub to the national grid.
During the recently concluded 2024 Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) Summit in Abuja, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, highlighted this development.
She explained that the connection is part of the federal government’s ongoing Light Up project, which aims to provide sustainable energy to the manufacturing sector.
Uzoka-Anite detailed that the Light Up project seeks to connect all industrial hubs, including the Tokarawa Industrial Hub in Kano and the Nnewi Hub in Anambra, to affordable energy sources, whether from the national grid or alternative gas sources.
“This initiative will cut energy costs in these crucial areas by approximately 60 percent, thereby reducing the cost of goods and services in Nigeria.
“We have begun mapping out major industrial clusters across the country to provide our local manufacturers with targeted interventions, boosting their vibrancy and competitiveness.
“Currently, many of our industrial clusters lack efficient and affordable power supply. The Light Up campaign, starting with the Agbara Industrial Hub now connected to the national grid, aims to address this,” she stated.
Further plans include connecting other industrial hubs such as Mowe, Tokarawa Market in Kano, and the Nnewi Industrial Cluster in Anambra to the national grid and gas sources where necessary.
The Industrial Clusters Power Project, part of the federal government’s broader initiative to illuminate industrial clusters nationwide, began in October 2023 and is led by Vice President Kasim Shettima.
This program is focused on overhauling Nigeria’s infrastructure framework, providing the essential impetus to strengthen the national economy.
