The Federal Government has announced that the Agbara Industrial Hub has been connected to the national grid, representing a substantial advance in the country’s electricity infrastructure for manufacturers and company owners.
This disclosure was made by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, during the 2024 Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) summit on Thursday, according to Nairametrics.
Uzoka-Anite stated that connecting the industrial hub to the grid is part of the federal government’s continuing Light Up project, which aims to supply sustainable energy to the manufacturing industry.
She claimed that the project will connect all industrial hubs, including the Tokarawa Industrial Hub in Kano and the Nnewi Hub in Anambra, to affordable energy, whether from the national grid or alternative gas sources.
According to the minister, this will lower energy costs in these critical areas by around 60%, resulting in a reduction in the country’s goods and services.
“We’ve commenced the initial process of mapping out major industrial clusters across the country to provide our local manufacturers with targeted interventions, enhancing their vibrancy and competitiveness.
“Currently, a lot of our industrial clusters are still not connected to efficient and affordable power supply. We flagged off the Light Up campaign. We started with the Agbara industrial hub which is now connected to the national grid.
“I also noted some other industrial hubs like Mowe and the rest of them. The Tokarawa market in Kano, the Nnewi industrial cluster in Anambra, we are making arrangements to connect them both to the national grid and to gas where this is no gas available,” she said.
In 2023, the federal government assured manufacturers and investors of adequate power supply throughout the country, particularly in industrial clusters.
The vice president, Kasim Shettima ,said that as part of the Light Up energy project, he hopes to create bilateral electricity sales directly to end customers at the Agbara industrial cluster over the next six months.
