Ondo, Ekiti, Delta, Edo Commissioners Meet to Chart Sustainable Energy Future Under BEDC

The Ondo State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. (Dr.) Johnson Jaiyeola Alabi, has convened a high-level strategic meeting with his counterparts from Ekiti, Delta, and Edo States — all under the coverage of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

The meeting, held via conference call, focused on charting a sustainable energy future for citizens across the four states.

Engr. Alabi said the engagement was aimed at addressing issues surrounding asset delineation and the urgent need to attract investors for a total takeover and upgrade of the existing distribution infrastructure. He noted that BEDC has consistently failed to improve facilities, forcing consumers to procure transformers, cables, poles, and other essential materials.

According to him, BEDC maintains that all the assets in question were acquired during the privatization exercise.

Alabi stressed that BEDC has grossly underperformed in Ondo and other affected states, with no clear roadmap for supporting economic growth through reliable electricity supply.

The immediate past Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utility in Ekiti State, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, also decried BEDC’s inefficiency, particularly its failure to address transmission bottlenecks.

He underscored the urgent need for new power injections into the states, adding that the current BEDC–national grid structure cannot sustainably support long-term development.

Prof. Aluko further called for a comprehensive review of BEDC’s financial standing to enable the states identify strategic opportunities for investor-driven interventions.

At the end of the deliberations, the Commissioners reached a consensus on key resolutions such as each state will obtain a detailed financial position of BEDC, as transparency is critical to their role as equity stakeholders, that a joint letter will be drafted and addressed to BEDC, formally communicating their position, and that all states will thoroughly review the asset delineation exercise conducted by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to confirm alignment with the asset lists previously submitted by the states detailing all networks deployed directly by the state governments within their geographical boundaries.