₦airaland Forum

As we reflect on the 50-year journey of our beloved Gateway State, one milestone stands distinctly apart; the golden years of Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration, writes Seunmanuel Faleye.

On October 4, 2010, Ogun State became the first state in the Nigerian federation to be granted an Electricity Distribution Licence by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). This historic feat was achieved under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FAEng, a leader whose strategic vision for energy independence sought to permanently alter Ogun State’s developmental trajectory.

The licence, granted to Gateway Electricity Limited, a public-private partnership between the Ogun State Government and i3M Power Systems Ltd, was more than a permit; it was the cornerstone of a broader, integrated energy masterplan designed to liberate the state from the shackles of national grid instability.

While the distribution licence was the public crown jewel, it was part of a three-pronged energy strategy that made Ogun State uniquely positioned. It remains, to date, the only state in Nigeria to have secured three distinct electricity licenses: Generation, Distribution, and a unique “Embedded Generation” licence for captive power plants. This triadic approval underscored a comprehensive approach to power: generate it independently, distribute it efficiently, and embed it strategically for critical public utilities.

The Mini-Power Plants Project

The catalyst for this energy revolution was a crisis. Between 2005-2006, Abeokuta was plunged into a 10-day blackout, crippling water treatment plants and threatening public health. The OGD administration resolved that reliance on expensive, polluting diesel generators and an erratic national grid was untenable.

The response was the conception and procurement of 23 mini-power plants for urban and semi-urban water schemes across the state. This was not a rushed procurement but a meticulously planned project:

International Expertise & Due Diligence: Reputable consultants were engaged. State officials, including House Assembly members, inspected similar plants in Kano and Ikorodu that had run flawlessly for over 15 years.
Capacity Building: As part of the contract, 15 Ogun State civil servants (engineers and technicians) received factory training in Nnigbo, China, to ensure local ownership and long-term maintenance.
Integrated Design: The plants, powered by LPFO, gas, or diesel, were designed with excess capacity. The vision was for plants serving Arakanga, Ota, Papalanto, and others to also power surrounding neighborhoods and commercial estates on a tariff-paying basis, creating a sustainable model.

Complete Delivery: The government received ALL 23 complete mini-power plants, their accessories, two years of maintenance spares, and even a dedicated maintenance vehicle. A Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) quality certificate authenticated the shipment.

One of these plants, a 7MW facility at Oke-Mosan, was successfully commissioned. It has powered the Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, and adjoining facilities since 2011—proof of the project’s viability.

Today, however, a shadow lies over this landmark achievement. As openly observed, the bulk of the mini-power plant equipment, displayed for years at the Arcade ground since 2011, has “grown wings and disappeared.” This is not a minor loss; it is the disappearance of a significant commonwealth, a gutting of the tangible assets from a visionary project.

The people of Ogun State have legitimate questions:

· Where are the 22 other procured plants meant for water schemes across the state?
· Where is the fleet of maintenance spares and the dedicated maintenance vehicle?
· What became of the state’s pioneering equity and strategic position in the Gateway Electricity Distribution Company?

The successful operation of the Oke-Mosan plant proves the technology worked. The disappearance of the others represents a staggering loss of potential, potential for stable water supply, for rural electrification, for increased IGR, and for a replicable model of sub-national energy sustainability.

As Ogun State anticipates a new administration, this issue transcends partisan lines. It is about accountability for public assets and the resuscitation of a visionary project. The trained engineers are likely still in civil service. The technical designs and agreements are in state archives. The NERC licences, that historic trinity, remain a potent framework.

The incoming administration has both a responsibility and a golden opportunity. It can:

Launch a transparent audit to trace the procurement, delivery, and current status of all 23 mini-power plants.
Revive the original framework, locating and installing the existing equipment to serve the water schemes and communities for which they were intended.

Reinvigorate the state’s role in the Gateway Electricity Distribution licence, leveraging it to catalyze investment and finally deliver the promised reliable power.

Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration laid a formidable, legally sound, and technically robust foundation for energy independence. That the physical pillars of this foundation have vanished is a puzzle the people deserve to see solved. The recovery and deployment of these assets would not just be a victory for accountability; it would be the long-overdue realization of a vision to power Ogun State’s future from within.

For visual reference of the procured equipment, the public is directed to the Facebook page “Ogun State: The OGD Years.”

Seunmanuel Faleye writes from Ijebu-Ode.

Last I checked, all the equipment for the power plants were wasting away in the governor's office.

Not installed, not out to use, just left there to rot.

The first picture is true

Why all the Gbenga Daniel whitewashing lately

bestofnollywood:
Seunmanuel Faleye writes from Ijebu-Ode.

Lies from the pit of hell. Light is terrible in Ogun state . I live in magboro and sagamu. We struggle for 3 hours light daily.

Even on the 50 day event. No light in most places yet you gave public holidays. Lol

Celebrating mediocrity

Politics and power play will never allow politicians in power to understand the meaning of continuing great projects initiated by the previous administrations. They want to show off their new projects and end up abandoning previous very good projects.

Understandably, if equipments were purchased, we expect the next administration to abandon them, award new contracts at very outrageous amounts and embezzle the money. In the end, nothing apart from stealing public funds is achieved. Equipments purchased are abandoned and finally sold off as “scraps”, at ridiculous rates, to fill their own pockets. Corruption is at the bottom of it all.

The Lies continue...
How Brazen

To be frank there's nothing for these states to celebrate at 50, outside of underdevelopment and massive, multidimensional poverty; yet hungry social media rats and shameless hack journalists keep trotting out these same criminal ex-governors (who all ought to be in jail, by the way) and insulting our sensibilities in their pathetic attempts to rewrite history

The vast majority of Nigerians deserve their chains

bestofnollywood:
Seunmanuel Faleye writes from Ijebu-Ode.

what daft reporting in this ?

Did he provide this as an individual or it is part of his responsibility as an elected governor in service of the people?

corruption has made reasoning abnormally common in this country

Mynd44:
Last I checked, all the equipment for the power plants were wasting away in the governor's office.

Not installed, not out to use, just left there to rot.

The first picture is true

it is under the rain there and wasting away

President governor of ogun state is a feeling like a total failure even the house of representative in the States they are also failures because I wonder what else they need to preach the governor and install a variable one

Who wrote all these nonsense about Gbenga Daniel?
Don't let people of Ogun descend on you

Eléyí of Ogun State is not even aware about this development

Mynd44:
Last I checked, all the equipment for the power plants were wasting away in the governor's office.

Not installed, not out to use, just left there to rot.

The first picture is true

Its not his fault , Rivers state under Ameachi bought a gas powered turbine generator that was suppose to power the state, his vision was to disconnect the state from the fraudulent national grid system and power it independently. He was then toold by cronies under the Bubu administration that you cannot transmit the power you re generating even for your state, he was forced sell the unit to the very crooks who now use it to generate power and bill the state residents to stupor.

Akpabio as a governor built such a plant he was told the same rubbish!!

Electrical power scarcity in Nigeria is systemic and deliberate! It is designed to impede our industialization! Read the Kissinger report.

Solar panels and inverters and other expensive rubbish touted for us are useless, they can never power industrialization.

Mention any local factory or manufacturing entity in Nigeria that uses solar to power it machinery?

There are none!!!

The challenge with the power sector is that you are not allowed to generate and distribute power, you have to channel whatever power you generate to the dubious national grid which is designed to favor the north.

If the bill were to be reviewed to allow people generate and distribute most of the power problems in many productive states in th cointry will end, like it did for Abia state.

Is OGD going for a third term or what's all these daily propaganda and lies about his activities as governor?



Talking about the electricity they are talking about, Gbenga only supplies the little electricity to the government offices and some rich & influential people. I love in the state's capital and the electricity situation is totally bad

nwirinedu:
Its not his fault , Rivers state under Ameachi bought a gas powered turbine generator that was suppose to power the state, his vision was to disconnect the state from the fraudulent national grid system and power it independently. He was then toold by cronies under the Bubu administration that you cannot transmit the power you re generating even for your state, he was forced sell the unit to the very crooks who now use it to generate power and bill the state residents to stupor.

Akpabio as a governor built such a plant he was told the same rubbish!!

Electrical power scarcity in Nigeria is systemic and deliberate! It is designed to impede our industialization! Read the Kissinger report.

Solar panels and inverters and other expensive rubbish touted for us are useless, they can never power industrialization.

Mention any local factory or manufacturing entity in Nigeria that uses solar to power it machinery?

There are none!!!

The challenge with the power sector is that you are not allowed to generate and distribute power, you have to channel whatever power you generate to the dubious national grid which is designed to favor the north.

If the bill were to be reviewed to allow people generate and distribute most of the power problems in many productive states in th cointry will end, like it did for Abia state.

..but for now..In June 2023 Tinubu has signed a law..new electricity bill law..which empowers and gives the right for the states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity light to their states..so now states can now generate, transmit and distribute electricity light within their States

I don't rate any of these Ogun past governors. All of them are failures.

justified007:
Is OGD going for a third term or what's all these daily propaganda and lies about his activities as governor?



Talking about the electricity they are talking about, Gbenga only supplies the little electricity to the government offices and some rich & influential people. I love in the state's capital and the electricity situation is totally bad

At least he's done something...what did the nincompoop that came after him do in the state to beat OGD's record. Apart from embezzle and bigotry.

justified007:
Is OGD going for a third term or what's all these daily propaganda and lies about his activities as governor?



Talking about the electricity they are talking about, Gbenga only supplies the little electricity to the government offices and some rich & influential people. I love in the state's capital and the electricity situation is totally bad

Maybe they're about to approve ijebu state in NASS... that's a likely reason for this recent image promotion. Good thing tho

LIES FROM THE PIT OF HELL. TILL NOW MAJOR TOWN IN OGUN STATE ARE ALL IN THEIR STATE OF BLACK OUT.

ufotunang:
..but for now..In June 2023 Tinubu has signed a law..new electricity bill law..which empowers and gives the right for the states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity light to their states..so now states can now generate, transmit and distribute electricity light within their States

You said June 2023, mention one state that has done that ? you might one to say Abia, but Abia had laid the ground work before June 2023.

This is not just for state governors but spirited individuals and companies to generate and distribute their power.

Imagine if an estate could generate and distribute power or communities do the same the impact will be enourmous.

Solar panels and lights don't cut it, they degrade with time as the panels and batteries become useless, they re also expensive to replace and
are completely useless as far as manufacturing processes that need machinery are concerned.

nwirinedu:
You said June 2023, mention one state that has done that ? you might one to say Abia, but Abia had laid the ground work before June 2023.

This is not just for state governors but spirited individuals and companies to generate and distribute their power.

Imagine if an estate could generate and distribute power or communities do the same the impact will be enourmous.

Solar panels and lights don't cut it, they degrade with time as the panels and batteries become useless, they re also expensive to replace and
are completely useless as far as manufacturing processes that need machinery are concerned.

..ok but up to 10 states have passed , signed and implemented the new electricity bill law...you can Google it , check Google...inorder to get more information from Google

ufotunang:
..ok but up to 10 states have passed , signed and implemented the new electricity bill law...you can Google it , check Google...inorder to get more information from Google

I don't doubt you, I will be more happier if they implement a programme of power generation and distribution without the use of DISCOs.