Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, has assured residents and businesses that his administration is committed to providing continuous electricity, describing it as a critical factor for economic growth.
Speaking at the 2025 Imo State Economic Summit in Owerri, Uzodimma emphasized that the era of relying on generators and dealing with frequent production downtime would soon be over.
“There will be no more excuses. No more interruptions. We will guarantee round-the-clock electricity across the state,” he said.
The governor stressed that electricity is the most significant bottleneck for industrialisation in Nigeria.
He noted that even with ideal locations, skilled labor, good roads, and market access, businesses cannot thrive without a stable power supply.
Many industrial operators, Uzodimma pointed out, spend more on self-generated electricity than on staff salaries, a situation he called unsustainable.
To tackle this, his administration is rolling out the Light-Up Imo Project, which aims to deliver reliable power to both the state’s urban centers and rural areas.
Phase One of the project, set to launch by the end of December, will initially energise the metropolis before expanding to all 27 local government areas.
Uzodimma described the initiative as “a game changer” for economic activity in the state.
The summit drew prominent figures from Nigeria and abroad, including Vice President Kashim Shettima representing President Bola Tinubu, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ex-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai, industrialist Aliko Dangote, and Finance Minister Wale Edun.
Their presence underscored the global and national interest in Imo’s economic transformation.
Uzodimma noted that consistent electricity supply would not only reduce operational costs for businesses but also attract more investments, stimulate industrial growth, and position Imo State as a model for sustainable development across Nigeria.
