Edo Targets Private Investors with New Power Projects, Regulatory Reforms

The Edo State Government is stepping up efforts to attract private investment into its electricity market as part of plans to improve power supply, expand generation capacity and support industrial growth.

The Commissioner for Power, Paul Usenbo, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying regulatory reforms, independent power projects and strategic equity partnerships were expected to strengthen the state’s position in the electricity sector.

He said the state had introduced significant policy and institutional changes under Governor Monday Okpebholo, who marks his second anniversary in office on Thursday.

According to Usenbo, the reforms include the transition to state-level electricity regulation, licensing of private operators, expansion of generation capacity, metering initiatives and partnerships aimed at improving electricity access across Edo.

He identified the state government’s acquisition of a 10 per cent equity stake in a proposed 100-megawatt power plant in Ologbo as a major investment development. The deal was negotiated with CCETC and First Bank.

Usenbo said the arrangement would make Edo an equity partner in the project, with the potential to generate recurring revenue, create jobs and improve electricity supply to businesses and industries.

The Ologbo development also includes a proposed 300-tonne-per-day liquefied natural gas facility, which had its groundbreaking ceremony performed by Okpebholo in February 2026. The project is expected to strengthen the state’s energy value chain and meet the growing power needs of industries.

The commissioner added that the government was pursuing a proposed 200MW independent power project in Edo North, alongside distributed generation and renewable energy investments intended to improve electricity supply across the state’s three senatorial districts.

On regulatory reforms, he said the Edo State Electricity Law 2024, signed by Okpebholo in February 2025, had established the framework for private-sector participation in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He noted that the establishment of the Edo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ESERC), following the transfer of regulatory oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, had strengthened the state’s ability to manage its electricity market.

According to Usenbo, 12 companies have received electricity generation and distribution licences under the new arrangement. They include CCETC Ogua Energy Limited, GTL Power Limited, IZ Energy, Etin Power Limited, Edo North Electricity Limited, Mid-Western Bulk Electricity Company Limited and Tetracore Power Company Limited.

Others are Victoria Power and Infrastructure, New Hampshire Capital Limited, Hydra Energy Solutions Limited, Nigeria Bottling Company Limited and Halimatu Musa Hospital Limited.

The commissioner also disclosed that ESERC had issued BEDC Electricity Edo Limited a six-month provisional licence to operate in the state, subject to regulatory requirements covering compliance, transparency, accountability and consumer protection.

On metering, Usenbo said the Ministry of Power was implementing a mass metering programme, with more than 30,000 meters reportedly deployed and over 38,000 allocated to Edo under the first phase of the free metering initiative.

He added that the government was planning to establish a meter assembly facility through a private-sector partnership, alongside a debulking programme to move communities from bulk electricity billing to individual customer accounts.

However, the impact of the reforms will depend on whether the proposed investments translate into increased electricity generation, improved distribution networks and more reliable power supply for households and businesses across the state.