The Lagos State government has set its sights on a concrete number: 3,000 megawatts of electricity supply by 2027, a target the state says will finally bring persistent blackouts to an end in one of Africa's most populous cities.
The plan signals a serious push by Lagos to take energy into its own hands, moving beyond the chronic unreliability of the national grid that has long frustrated residents and businesses alike. For a megacity that never truly sleeps, the gap between power demand and supply has been one of the most stubborn drags on daily life and economic activity.
Details on exactly how the state plans to hit that 3,000MW mark, including the energy mix, private sector partnerships, or financing structures, are still emerging. But the public commitment to a firm deadline gives Lagos residents something they have rarely had in this conversation: a number to hold their government to.
Whether 2027 proves realistic will depend on execution, and Lagos has no shortage of ambitious plans that have met the hard wall of infrastructure politics. The next few months should reveal whether this target comes with the investment muscle to match it.
Originally published by BusinessDay.