Bayelsa at 30: Stakeholders Seek Legislative Backing for 60MW Power Project - THISDAYLIVE

Stakeholders including energy experts, financial advisors, captains of industry, the academia, development experts, policy makers and the media have called on the Bayelsa State government to ensure legislative backing for the 60KVA gas turbine and other infrastructures critical to the growth and development of the state and backed it by law.

The stakeholders who spoke at the special South-South Reawakening Group Roundtable meeting in commemoration of the state’s 30th anniversary since creation, also called on the state government to expand the existing 60-Megawatt gas turbine facility to guarantee statewide electricity coverage.

In his opening address, the host and convener of the South-South Re-Awakening Group (SSRG), Joseph Ambakederimo, while commending the state government for establishing the 60-Megawatt gas turbine in Yenagoa, stressed the need to transition Bayelsa into a sustainable 24-hour power economy, describing electricity as the primary catalyst for industrialisation and economic growth. 

He said, “Without power, you cannot industrialize. Power is everything.As we celebrate, let us not be lost in the euphoria. There’s more work to be done in Bayelsa State. We should start now to begin the plan for the future. How do we and where do we want to be in the next 30 years in terms of industrial development and deployment of power resources to better the lives of our people?  Ambakederimo stated.

Ambakederimo said by fostering dialogue, collaboration and action, the SSRG roundtable series have continued to serve as catalyst for shaping the South-south geopolitical economic transformation and unlocking the full potential of decentralised energy and economic needs.

“The electricity value chain encompasses the sequential stages through which electrical energy is created, transported and commercialised. Each link in the chain serves specific operational and financial objectives designed to ensure grid stability, economic viability and reliable energy delivery.”

Also, the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, highlighted reliable electricity as a key driver for economic expansion and a tool to curb social vices such as cultism and crime.

“Power is the bedrock, the foundation for sustainable industrialisation. Bayelsa is leading in this regard as a state with 60 Megawatts of gas turbines that will guarantee 24-hour electricity to the people. It means that we must all seize this opportunity, grow our businesses, and then maximise output,” King Dakolo asserted.

On infrastructure development, the Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, emphasised that power generation alone is insufficient without strong distribution and transmission networks.

“The power system, particularly generation, is only as strong as its weakest link. The value chain must therefore be planned and operated as one integrated system. That comes to the investment aspect of it,” Kemenanabo said.

Addressing regulatory oversight, the Director General of the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency, Dr. Rosalyn Dressman, reassured consumers of continuous efforts to sustain power availability and address service complaints.

“Electricity has improved over time. Our business is to make sure that Bayelsa has electricity. How do we do that? We coordinate generators, distributors, consumers to make sure everybody speaks one common language,” she said.

She, however, explained that one of the weakest links in the value chain is the transformers that got vandalised consistently by hoodlums, adding that they are looking forward to extending the distribution of electricity to all Yenagoa residents by the end of year.

In a communique read by the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Charles Eni-Umukoro, the roundtable advocated policy consistency, legislative backing for energy infrastructure, a specialised task force against vandalism, and the expansion of the 60 Megawatt system.

The event featured an engaging panel discussion moderated by veteran journalist, Daniel Abia, focusing on emerging opportunities within the state’s electricity value chain.

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