BENIN CITY- Edo Government says it plans to use many sources of energy to power street lights in the state.

Mr Cruse Osagie, the Special Adviser to the state Governor on Communication and Strategy, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that this would ensure that the streets were well lit all the night.

Osagie said the current sources of keeping the streets illuminated at night were no longer sustainable, stressing that the epileptic public power supply was not helping the matter.

NAN reports that Edo State depends on the public power supply and electricity generating sets to power the street lights.

Osagie said the government would maximize the use of resources at Azure power plant, Siemens and Osiomon power plants to boost power supply in the state.

Osage said these plants would power critical public assets in the state, including street lights, and help to keep the streets lit for longer hours at night.

A top government official, who pleaded anonymity, said that the state had entered into a partnership with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to help power the street lights.

The source also said that there was another plan to outsource the street lights to private firms for efficiency.
“Yes, this has been concluded.

“The firm will be responsible for the maintenance of the street lights such as changing the dead bulbs and ensuring the they are all in perfect working condition all the time.”

The source said most of the street lights were provided by the state government with council areas and Niger Delta Development Company (NDDC) providing some.

He said Benin metropolis, Ekpoma, Uromi and Auchi were the major towns where the state government was providing street lights.

An official of the BEDC confirmed the company’s partnership with the state government on the street light project.

Mr Fidelis Obishai, an official of BEDC, said the partnership was effective in places like Airport Road, Akpakpava and Sapele Road in Benin City.

“We have connected these areas to the double circuit lines to ensure that they remain lit for 24 hours.

“We did all this at no cost to the government.

“We are hoping this partnership will help improve life for the commoners as well as for better governance,” he said.