The Scandal of Oil Without Light

Uzere is one of the most consequential communities in Nigeria’s economic history. It was here, in 1958, that Nigeria’s second oil well was struck, laying the foundation for the petroleum industry that would go on to power the entire Nigerian state for over six decades. The people of Isoko have lived alongside gas flares, pipeline easements, and oil-company base sites for generations. Their land has subsidized Nigeria’s development. Yet, power availability in their communities sits at an average of 11.8% where gas burns into the sky as waste while homes go dark. This is the central injustice that OGHALEISOKO2027 names, confronts, and commits to resolve.

Understanding the Problem Before Making Promises

I am a builder and a project person. Builders do not begin construction before the survey is complete. One of my foundational commitments is this: I know the current challenge of the power issue and commit to a comprehensive constituency-wide energy assessment, mapping the existing grid infrastructure, the BEDC coverage gaps, the available gas flare volume from oil company operations, and the potential for renewable micro-grid interventions.

The Electricity Act 2023: A New Door

Nigeria’s Electricity Act of 2023 represents a significant shift in the country’s power sector governance, liberalizing state-level power generation and opening new pathways for independent power projects, community-based electricity solutions, and private-sector participation. I am committed to leveraging this new legal framework as a key instrument for Isoko’s power transformation.

Power as the Key to Industrialisation

My vision extends beyond the flipping of a light switch. “Efficient electricity” is the precondition for everything else in the OGHALEISOKO2027 agenda. With efficient power, small businesses can run machinery. With efficient power, cold chains can preserve agricultural produce. With efficient power, healthcare equipment functions optimally. With efficient power, factories become viable, and Isoko’s industrialization becomes possible.

” ‘Power is key for Isoko,’ he has started, and jumpstarting the Isoko industrialization is a need of time.”