Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced plans for the Ministry to bypass electricity distribution companies in supplying electricity to the country’s airports due to rising electricity bills.
During a ministerial press briefing on Monday in Abuja to mark President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, Keyamo highlighted that the government pays one billion naira in electricity bills at Lagos airport alone.
To address this, the government is considering a N600 million investment in solar energy to move off the national grid for electricity supply. Keyamo emphasized that this shift to solar power would save the government 30 per cent of the funds currently paid to distribution companies.
“We want to run our airports with solar power, which will save us so much money every month. I was told we do N1 billion monthly at Lagos airport alone and asked why.
“The first thing I said they should do is bypass the Discos and go to the Gencos because we are eligible customers.
“Why do you pay a Disco that will add profit when you are an eligible customer? Cut them off and go straight to the Gencos.
“We are doing that, and they are protesting up and down to meet the president. By doing that, we are saving 30 per cent.
“When we are supposed to pay N1bn, we will pay N600m,” the minister explained.
