The Federal Government has begun discussions with electricity distribution companies on plans to establish energy zones that will provide 24-hour electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries in major demand centres.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, held a closed-door meeting with the management of selected DisCos to discuss the proposed zones, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Adeola Adelabu.

The proposed energy zones will cover the Lagos axis, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor and the Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor.

Tegbe said the initiative would tackle challenges at the distribution end of the electricity value chain, particularly the capacity of DisCos to receive and deliver available power to consumers.

“The constraint on the sector is not limited to generation and transmission but includes how much power is taken up and delivered at the distribution end,” the minister said.

He added that the proposed energy zones would help bridge distribution gaps, unlock commercial and industrial demand, and strengthen the revenue and collection performance of DisCos.

The minister also said the Federal Government would continue to expand electricity infrastructure in high-demand areas, stressing that power supply capacity must keep pace with the needs of the economy.

The statement said the proposed zones would target locations where reliable electricity supply is critical to businesses, manufacturing and other productive activities.

However, it did not specify a timeline for implementation, the amount of power to be supplied to the zones or the infrastructure investments required to provide round-the-clock electricity.