‎Oyo Government Rubbishes Power Minister’s Claims, Defends Power Projects in Pacesetter State

‎Oyo Government Rubbishes Power Minister’s Claims, Defends Power Projects in Pacesetter State
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‎The Oyo State Government has dismissed recent criticisms attributed to the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, describing his remarks on the state’s electricity initiatives as inaccurate and not reflective of ongoing developments in the power sector.
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‎The Minister had reportedly questioned the effectiveness of the state’s 11-megawatt Independent Power Project (IPP), suggesting that it had not delivered significant impact, particularly in extending electricity supply beyond government facilities.
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‎He also raised concerns about the overall performance and structure of state-driven power interventions embarked upon by the Oyo State Government and tagged it a failed project.
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‎Responding, the state government, through the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, said the 11-megawatt was completed and partially operationalised, with about 5-megawatt successfully commissioned.
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‎The commissioner explained that the facility powered key infrastructure at the Agodi Secretariat for about five months during its test phase and was implemented under a private-sector-funded Power Purchase Agreement, with the state only paying for electricity consumed.
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‎The government further noted that the main limitation of the 11-megawatt project was distribution, not generation capacity, as supply could not be extended beyond government buildings into surrounding residential and commercial areas such as the Bodija–Total Garden axis.
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‎It added that efforts are ongoing to address these bottlenecks while highlighting progress on a new 12-megawatt Ibadan Independent Power Gas Project, which is currently at an advanced stage of construction.
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‎According to the government, the new gas-powered project represents a shift toward a more structured and scalable electricity framework designed to serve public institutions, street lighting, and selected economic clusters.
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‎It maintained that while constructive criticism is welcome, comments on the projects must be based on verified facts, insisting that the Minister’s position does not accurately represent the state of power developments in Oyo State.
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