The celebrated Ossiomo Power Project, long showcased as a flagship achievement of former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, has been revealed to be a private enterprise, not a state-owned venture.
The revelation emerged on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Edo State Electrification Agency at the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Benin City. At the meeting, it was categorically stated that the Edo State Government is merely a customer of the Ossiomo Power Plant, with no equity or ownership stake.
State Electrification Agency Confirms Ossiomo’s Status
Addressing participants, the Managing Director of the Edo State Electrification Agency, Hon. Saturday Egbadon, clarified that Ossiomo was structured as a private initiative under the previous administration.
“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 added that Ossiomo’s management shut down operations at its Ologbo facility without notifying Governor Monday Okpebholo, a move that left government offices, institutions, and private businesses in darkness since September 1, 2025.
Government Moves to Prevent Blackout
In response, the state government swiftly engaged the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to assume supply for all consumers previously connected to Ossiomo’s 11KV lines, including the State Secretariat, Government House, hospitals, and private subscribers.
Commending BEDC, 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.”
BEDC Steps In With Relief Measures
Representing BEDC, Acting Chief Technical Officer, Engr. Kingsley Atseyinku, pledged the company’s readiness to absorb stranded Ossiomo customers. He confirmed that many subscribers would be migrated to Band A feeders, guaranteeing 20–24 hours of daily power supply.
Some affected customers welcomed the intervention. Barrister Adesuwa Omonuwa, an Ossiomo subscriber from inception, remarked: “Today’s meeting has given us hope, and if all promises are kept, customers will no longer endure days of blackout.”
A Project Stripped of Its “Legacy” Status
The Ossiomo plant, a 95MW gas-fired facility, had been paraded as a solution to Edo’s chronic power shortages, supplying electricity to government institutions, hotels, industries, the NUJ Secretariat, and even powering streetlights across Benin City.
However, with fresh disclosures confirming its private ownership, the project’s branding as a government-backed legacy achievement has now collapsed. The scandal raises new concerns about transparency, sustainability, and the integrity of projects marketed as state-led initiatives in Edo.
