The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN on Wednesday, formally commissioned the 8.8 Megawatts Mainland Independent Power Project. The 8.8 MW Power plant has been made possible through a Public Private Partnership between the Lagos State Government and a consortium of Mainland Power Limited, CET Power, and Solad Electric Limited.

In his statement, commending the work of CET Power for its proven record of success with building power plants, he divulged that the Mainland Independent Power Project would serve agencies like the Lagos State Electricity Board, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Area F Police Command, the High Court, the Office of the Chief Judge, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the State Water Corporation, the old Secretariat complex, the State Ministry of Housing Estate and Eko Engineering Limited.

Others include street lights covering a stretch of 20 kilometers from the Old Secretariat, the Ikeja Flyover, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Agege Motor Road, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu to Maryland, Palm Avenue in Mushin and Ikeja GRA.

Giving a project overview, the Managing Director of CET Power, Mr. Obiora Nwizu, said the 8.8 Megawatts Power plant has 5.8 MW as the primary power that is produced by natural gas while the 3 Megawatts standby is driven by diesel.

Nwizu stressed that there is also a provision to transfer the power plant to Lagos State after 10 years of operation adding that there is also the capacity for expansion of the Mainland Power Plant to 25 MW if the State Government so desires.

The General Manager of the State Electricity Board, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, said the state has so far commissioned four IPPs and each of them is helping the State Government to conserve and save costs. In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Dr. Sam Amadi, who was represented by Dr. Uche Okoh, described the Mainland IPP as symbolizing the future of electricity generation in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Ikey Mbagwu, thanked the Lagos State Government for keeping faith with the Fidelity Bank in the provision of Independent Power Plants.

The Governor later undertook a guided tour of the Independent Power Plant alongside some of the dignitaries that included the members of the State Executive Council notably, the Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope–Adefulire, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and his Environment counterpart, Mr. Tunji Bello and other notable personalities.