Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the power sector as a critical factor in the nation’s economic development.
Sanwo-Olu stated this on Friday during a visit to ‘Power House, the office of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in Abuja.
He also commended the Minister on the improvement being witnessed in the sector, adding that no development can take place without the power.
Addressing some of the Ministry’s directors who received him in company of the Minister, the Governor charged them to further improve on their performance.
”The power sector is critical for economic turnaround and the development of the country; you must therefore constantly improve on your performance”, he said.
The Lagos Governor added that everything revolved round the power sector and enjoined the Ministry to continue to cooperate with the Adelabu to deliver on their mandate and change the narrative in the power sector.
“Other critical sectors depend on power. I am therefore here to let you know how important you are to our development. Power is what can transform this country. We can use it as a springboard to galvanise our economy”, he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed that apart from galvanising the private sector, adequate power supply will also enable Nigerians to do things for themselves.
“ Mr President is talking about N1 trillion GDP, this is possible within five years. The private sector is the real engine of growth and when we bring down the cost of production through improved power supply, the private sector will grow, they will employ more people.
“Government is not about growth, government is just the enabler of growth. So everybody must understand that once people are given power, they do not need government, they will do things on their own and that’s how nations grow”, he said.
He further expressed optimism of high performance from the Minister of Power in view of his antecedents.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also appealed to Adelabu in the need to give consideration to Lagos State in the provision of power infrastructure.
“Lagos is critical and an important microcosm of the country, it should therefore be given major consideration in the provision of power infrastructure, but we are not saying this to the disadvantage of other States,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary, Mahmuda Mamman thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for the visit.
Mamman also solicited his cooperation and support in achieving the ministry’s mandate adding, that the mandate before it cannot be done alone.