OSOGBO, Osun State — The Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign council has announced plans to unveil a strategic energy agenda aimed at transforming the state into a major player in Nigeria’s electricity sector, with the potential to become a net exporter of power.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Funke Egbemode, co-chairperson of the media and publicity committee of the campaign council, said the document, titled “Powering Osun’s Future,” would provide a roadmap for sustainable electricity development in the state. She described the agenda as an actionable framework designed to guide energy governance and drive long-term growth in the power sector.
Egbemode noted that the legal basis for state-led electricity development was established through constitutional and legislative reforms introduced under the administrations of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu. She pointed to the Fifth Alteration to the 1999 Constitution, signed on March 17, 2023, which removed electricity from the Exclusive Legislative List, and the Electricity Act 2023, which created a modern framework for state electricity markets and regulatory institutions.
However, she lamented that Osun remains the only state in the South-West yet to fully domesticate and implement the Electricity Act 2023, despite possessing enormous strategic advantages in the power sector. “Regrettably, Osun remains the only state in South-West Nigeria that has yet to do anything tangible to fully domesticate and implement the Electricity Act 2023, despite possessing enormous strategic advantages in the power sector,” the statement read.
The campaign council highlighted that Osun hosts the National Control Centre of the national grid in Osogbo and serves as a major transmission hub for the South-West. The state also enjoys significant solar energy potential, viable hydro resources at Owala, Osun, Ila and Erin-Ijesa, and a growing mining and agro-industrial economy driving increasing energy demand.
Egbemode disclosed that Munirudeen Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate, had inaugurated an Electric Power and Gas Infrastructure Technical Team comprising seasoned professionals to develop a practical roadmap for the sector. Preliminary feasibility assessments indicate that Osun possesses the capacity to become a net exporter of electricity through a strategic combination of small hydro projects, thermal gas power, renewable generation, and effective utilisation of its transmission advantages.
“With the right policies and investments, the state can transition from being a passive consumer on the national grid to a net seller of electricity, creating jobs, attracting investment, generating revenue and enhancing energy security,” Egbemode said.
She added that upon Oyebamiji’s inauguration as governor, a well-structured Integrated Resource Plan and sustainable power delivery architecture would be activated to unlock Osun’s vast energy potential and power the state’s economic transformation. The date for the official unveiling of the Strategic Energy Agenda would be announced shortly.
The announcement has drawn a sharp response from Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, which maintains that Osun already has an electricity law under implementation. Governor Adeleke, through his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, stated that the state used 2024 and 2025 to develop an energy bill which was subjected to consultations, passed by the State House of Assembly, and assented to by the governor.
“The accusation by the APC candidate that Osun remains the only state in the South West without an electricity law and agenda is a lie from the pit of hell,” Rasheed said. “Osun has a law that meets all standards and has the potential to harness the economic potential of the state.”
The governor’s office disclosed that the law provides for a holistic policy and legal framework for power sector development, covering the creation of an electricity market system, introduction of alternative energy sources, and the creation of a state electricity regulatory agency. The agency regulates the granting of licences for power generation and manages relationships between generating companies and between power consumers and the Ibadan DisCo.
Rasheed advised the APC candidate to study the current administration’s advances in the energy, digital economy, and climate change economy sectors before issuing policy ideas based on what he described as ignorance.
The exchange over the state’s energy policy comes as political activities intensify ahead of the governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026. The APC has also previously accused the Adeleke administration of failing to deliver visible development, while the governor’s office has maintained that implementation of key reforms, including the electricity law, is ongoing.
As the election approaches, energy policy has emerged as a central campaign issue, with candidates across party lines recognising the importance of stable electricity for economic growth and industrial development in the state.
