The Oyo State Government has strongly refuted claims made by the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, accusing him of misrepresenting facts about the state’s efforts to improve electricity supply.
Adelabu had earlier criticized the Oyo State Government for allegedly doing little to support federal efforts to provide reliable power to residents.
Speaking after a meeting with the management of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) and other stakeholders, the minister claimed that the state’s only power project the 11KV diesel power plant at the Secretariat was “moribund” despite billions of naira spent, and had never generated a single kilowatt of electricity for the people.
In a swift response on Tuesday, Oyo State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Prof. Dahud K. Shangodoyin, described the minister’s statement as factually inaccurate.
Prof. Shangodoyin clarified that the 11MW Independent Power Project (IPP) was successfully completed and partially operationalised.
He revealed that about 5MW was commissioned and supplied electricity to critical government facilities at the Agodi Secretariat for nearly five months during the testing phase.
“The project was not funded with Oyo State capital funds but through private investment under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA),” the commissioner stated.
“Payments made by the state were only for electricity consumed during the testing period, not for project construction.”
He acknowledged that while generation was achieved, challenges with distribution infrastructure limited wider supply beyond the Secretariat to areas such as Bodija and Total Garden.
Efforts are ongoing to resolve these issues with project partners.Shangodoyin also disclosed that the state has moved to a more ambitious and sustainable initiative, the 12MW Ibadan Independent Power Gas Project.
The project, he said, is at an advanced stage with civil works, generator foundations, and transmission infrastructure (including concrete poles and distribution fittings) progressing rapidly across parts of Ibadan.
The new gas-powered project is designed to serve not only government facilities but also strategic public institutions, street lighting, and broader economic clusters in the state.
The commissioner concluded that while constructive criticism is acceptable, it must be based on verified facts.
“The statement by the Honourable Minister of Power is clearly deficient in facts and does not reflect the true position of ongoing developments in Oyo State,” he added.
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