Edo’s Flagship Power Project Under Obaseki, a Mirage, Officials Admit

The widely praised Ossiomo Power Project, which was promoted as a major achievement of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki’s government, has been revealed to be misleading. It is now confirmed that the Edo State government does not own the facility nor does it hold any shares in it.

This surprising development was revealed at a high level meeting organised by the Edo State Electrification Agency on Tuesday in Benin City.

At the meeting, officials stated clearly that the state government is simply a customer of the privately run Ossiomo Power Plant. He stressed that since the government has no financial stake in the company, it is not responsible for the plant’s sudden closure.

“The government of Edo State is simply a customer of Ossiomo Power, as established by the last administration. The current shutdown is the outcome of a commercial dispute between Ossiomo Power and its Chinese partner, CCETC, not an action of the state government,” Egbadon explained.

He further revealed that the management of Ossiomo failed to consult or notify Governor Monday Okpebholo before pulling the plug on operations at its Ologbo facility, a decision that plunged several government offices, institutions, and private businesses into darkness since September 1st, 2025.

The state government has in a swift move, engage the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to take over supply responsibilities for all consumers previously connected to Ossiomo’s 11KV lines, including the State Secretariat, Government House, major hospitals, and private subscribers in a bid for o avert total blackout of public services.

Commending BEDC for its cooperation, Egbadon noted: “We must appreciate the BEDC management for their swift response and for waiving the usual paperwork and bureaucracy to ensure power was restored to critical state facilities.”

Representing BEDC, Acting Chief Technical Officer, Engr. Kingsley Atseyinku, pledged the company’s readiness to absorb Ossiomo’s stranded customers, many of whom, he announced, would be migrated to Band A feeders with guaranteed service levels of 20–24 hours daily.

Some Ossiomo customers present at the meeting expressed relief at the intervention, describing the deliberations as fruitful. Barrister Adesuwa Omonuwa, a long-standing subscriber, remarked: “I have been with Ossiomo from inception and was satisfied before these problems emerged. Today’s meeting has given us hope, and if all promises are kept, customers will no longer endure days of blackout.”

The Ossiomo plant, a 95MW gas-fired facility, had been celebrated as a bold solution to Edo’s perennial power deficit. It provided electricity to government offices, hotels, industries, the NUJ Secretariat, Government House, and street lighting across parts of Benin. However, the recent revelations strip the project of its much-touted status as a government-backed legacy initiative, exposing it instead as a private arrangement with limited state leverage.

With subscribers cut off from supply and government facilities scrambling for alternatives, the Ossiomo debacle raises deeper questions about transparency, sustainability, and the integrity of projects marketed as flagship state initiatives.