Across Nigeria, the story of electricity has long been one of frustration, stalled productivity, and lost economic opportunities. National grid failures have become almost routine, leaving homes, industries, hospitals, and businesses at the mercy of darkness. Yet, in the midst of this national challenge, a bold experiment is unfolding in Abia State, offering a powerful lesson not just for individual states, but for entire regions.
Abia State’s recent success in achieving relative power independence under Governor Alex Otti is more than a governance milestone. It is a demonstration that visionary leadership, strong policy direction, and strategic investment can break Nigeria’s long-standing electricity bottlenecks. While Abia has positioned itself as a trailblazer at the state level, the South-West region of Nigeria holds the unique capacity to become the first fully energy-self-sufficient region in the country if it chooses cooperation over isolated state by state efforts.
This is not merely an energy conversation. It is about economic rebirth, regional competitiveness, and honouring a legacy of progressive leadership that once made the South-West the pride of Nigeria.
When the national grid recently collapsed again, plunging much of Nigeria into darkness, Abia State barely flinched. Through deliberate reforms, the state took regulatory control of its electricity market and empowered local generation and distribution networks. By creating a ring fenced power ecosystem around Aba and its surrounding areas, Abia insulated itself from national transmission vulnerabilities.
The results have been remarkable. Businesses now operate with consistent electricity supply. Manufacturing costs have dropped significantly. Investors are paying attention. Smart metering has improved billing transparency, while waste to energy initiatives are laying the foundation for sustainable renewable power solutions.
Abia has proven that energy independence is not an impossible dream. It is a strategic choice backed by policy, infrastructure, and leadership commitment. However, what Abia has achieved within one state, the South-West can achieve on a far larger and more transformative scale.
The South-West region possesses unmatched structural, economic, and historical advantages that naturally position it to pioneer regional power sufficiency in Nigeria. The region houses Nigeria’s largest commercial and industrial hubs. Lagos alone represents the economic heartbeat of West Africa, while Ogun hosts major manufacturing clusters. Oyo continues to grow as an industrial and agricultural powerhouse, and Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti offer vast renewable energy potentials through agriculture, water resources, and solid minerals. When combined, the energy demand across these states forms a strong economic justification for large scale, regionally coordinated power generation investments.
Unlike many regions that depend heavily on a single energy source, the South-West is blessed with multiple options for a diversified energy portfolio. Gas infrastructure corridors extend through Lagos and Ogun. Hydropower opportunities exist within Oyo and Ondo. Solar radiation is suitable across Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo. Agricultural waste has the capacity to power biogas plants across rural communities. Industrial waste recycling potential exists within Lagos and Ogun clusters. This diversity allows the region to develop a balanced, stable, and resilient energy system that reduces vulnerability to supply disruptions.
The South-West also enjoys strong cultural, economic, and political interconnectivity. Interstate commerce flows naturally. Transport networks overlap seamlessly. Educational and technological collaborations already exist across state lines. This cultural alignment provides fertile ground for a unified regional power strategy.
While individual states pursuing power independence is commendable, fragmented approaches risk duplication of infrastructure, higher operational costs, and limited transmission efficiency. Electricity systems thrive on scale, coordination, and load balancing across multiple supply points. A regional approach offers shared generation capacity that reduces capital burden on individual states. Regional transmission corridors enhance reliability and redundancy. A unified regulatory framework improves investor confidence. Larger power pools attract international financing and technology partnerships. Cross state load balancing ensures stability during peak demand. Regional collaboration converts competition into collective prosperity.
Historically and symbolically, Oyo State stands in a strong position to coordinate such an initiative. Known as a pace setter in education, governance reforms, and agricultural development, Oyo possesses the geographic advantage of sitting at the centre of the South-West corridor. This strategic location makes it ideal as a transmission and distribution coordination hub for regional electricity infrastructure. If Oyo leads the policy framework, Lagos drives investment inflow, Ogun anchors manufacturing consumption, Ondo provides energy resource expansion, while Osun and Ekiti strengthen renewable integration, the South-West could establish Nigeria’s first regional power corridor.
The South-West has a proud history of pioneering development policies that transformed Nigeria’s governance landscape. Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo and other progressive leaders laid the foundation for free education, modern regional infrastructure, and social welfare systems decades before such policies became national discussions. A unified regional electricity revolution would not only drive economic growth but would also symbolically revive that progressive legacy. It would demonstrate that visionary governance is not a relic of history but a living tradition capable of shaping Nigeria’s future. Such a transformation would celebrate the architects of South-West development history for inspiring a new generation of regional cooperation and self-reliance.
Stable electricity supply remains the single greatest catalyst for industrial expansion. With regional power sufficiency, the South-West could experience massive growth in manufacturing exports, expansion of technology and innovation hubs, reduced cost of doing business, increased agricultural processing and storage capacity, job creation across technical and industrial sectors, and attraction of foreign direct investment into energy intensive industries. More importantly, energy stability would directly improve healthcare delivery, education technology adoption, and urban infrastructure resilience.
Achieving regional power independence requires bold political alignment among South-West governors, legislative backing across state assemblies, and active collaboration with private sector investors. It also demands transparency, long term planning, and the courage to move beyond partisan boundaries. Energy sufficiency must be viewed as a regional security priority rather than merely an infrastructure project.
Abia has demonstrated that change is possible. The South-West now has the opportunity to elevate that success to a regional scale and set a national benchmark that others can follow. The region possesses the economic strength, natural resources, technological capacity, and historical leadership legacy required to achieve this milestone.
Nigeria’s electricity future may not be determined solely by federal grid reforms. It may very well be shaped by regions willing to take responsibility for their own development destiny. The question is no longer whether the South-West can achieve energy self sufficiency. The real question is whether it will seize the moment, unite its strengths, and once again lead Nigeria into a new era of progress. If history is any guide, the South-West has never been afraid to lead.
By Bola Babarinde, South Africa
