Federal Government Breaks Ground on 50MW Power Project for Abuja’s Idu Industrial Area

The Federal Government has launched a 50-megawatt electrification project expected to deliver 24-hour electricity to industries and commercial enterprises within the Idu Industrial Estate in Abuja.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Thursday, September 17, 2026, marked the beginning of a phased rollout that will see the first 10 megawatts delivered by December 2026, with the remaining 40 megawatts to be rolled out through 2027.

The initiative is a collaborative venture between Welbeck Electricity Distribution Limited, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Shell Gas Limited, designed to provide reliable power to local factories and businesses.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced that the Federal Government is conducting comprehensive technical audits across major industrial corridors nationwide, prioritising the Lagos industrial axis, the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and the Enugu-Onitsha axis.

Tegbe noted that the Lagos industrial corridor accounts for approximately 40 per cent of national electricity demand, adding that government interventions in the zone aim to create or secure around 180,000 jobs over the next six months.

“Our target is that within six months we will fix the issues in the Lagos-Sagamu corridor regarding infrastructure and then move on to Abuja and then the Enugu-Onitsha axis,” Tegbe declared.

The Minister stressed the need for effective coordination across the electricity value chain.

“We need to ensure the transmission happens. And then even distribution. I am sure Abuja Disco is represented here, because if you want to effectively distribute to the industrial end users, there must be a handshake,” he said.

The Minister of State for Industry, John Owan Enoh, described unreliable electricity as a major constraint on industrial productivity, stating that efforts to renew the manufacturing sector would be difficult without addressing Nigeria’s energy deficit.

“When you produce locally, you contribute to job creation and provide our abundant youth with a pathway for employment,” Enoh said.

Providing insight into the project’s location, the Managing Director of Welbeck Electricity Distribution Limited, Afolabi Aiyela, explained that the first 10MW will be generated from a site near the AKK gas pipeline in Zuba and transmitted through a 33-kilovolt line to the Idu Industrial Estate.

He said the remaining 40MW would be developed within the industrial estate once the gas pipeline is extended to the area, noting that the proposed 16-kilometre pipeline extension would require an estimated investment of 50 billion naira.

Aiyela added that the Idu Industrial Estate currently has a potential electricity demand of between 300MW and 400MW, indicating the scale of the power shortfall facing manufacturers.

The first phase is expected to prioritise Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises and large indigenous companies, with subsequent phases extending coverage to other manufacturers in the estate.

Tegbe also highlighted the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, particularly its decentralisation of the power sector, which allows sub-national governments and private investors to participate in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

He described vandalism of power infrastructure as a major drawback in the industry and urged host communities to protect electricity assets to ensure the sustainability of the project.

The Idu project follows the commissioning on Wednesday of a 3MW hybrid mini-grid at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, designed to provide 24-hour electricity to over 58,000 students and residents.