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Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has restated
the readiness of the state to partner with the private sector on power
generation to enable it become the energy capital of the nation. Mr Oshiomhole
hopes that his state will generate twenty five percent of the nation’s power
needs by the year 2020.

The Governor, who disclosed this in Benin City
during the state’s power sector round table meeting at the weekend, maintained
that the long-term challenge of fighting and defeating poverty cannot be
realised without reliable power supply.

Mr Oshiomhole said Edo State is strategically
located with comparative advantages and is ready and willing to make available
up to a thousand hectares of land to investors in the power sector.

While assuring that the state will collaborate
with the private sector by providing conducive political environment, adequate
security and well trained human capital, the governor said, “We have the will
to do what has to be done.

“It is time to focus more aggressively on power
supply by working with the private sector so that we can become the energy
capital of Nigeria. At least two billion dollars of investment can be attracted
to this sector,” the governor noted.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on
Energy, Barth Nnaji commended the Edo State government’s initiative on power
generation saying that, “Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has recognised that reliable
power supply will catalyse the businesses which will create jobs.” In his
words, “you are not fighting this battle alone because the federal government
is determined to provide reliable power supply across the nation with the
investment of ten billion dollars per year in the power sector.”

Private-public
collaboration

According to him, the public sector cannot embark
on this project all alone, that is why it is important for private investors to
be involved and a Presidential Action Committee has been set up to identify
problems and seek ways to resolve them.

While noting that Edo State Government has become
the vanguard for the rehabilitation of the power sector, Mr Nnaji assured that
the federal government will give investors the necessary guarantees required.

The Head, Economic and Strategy Team of Edo State
Government, Godwin Obaseki said the first Round Table which is aimed at
discussing how to make the state the energy capital of the nation is just the
beginning.