UTOROGU POWER PROJECT: A CALL FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER TO END YEARS OF DARKNESS IN THREE HOST COMMUNITIES

-By Zik Gbemre

The Utorogu Power Project, intended to provide 20 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan communities in Delta State, remains incomplete to date. Despite the time and resources committed to the project, the three communities are still without the electricity they were promised. This persistent failure raises serious concerns about project execution, accountability and the welfare of the host communities.

We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and relevant agencies, to take over the project, complete the necessary works and deliver the promised 20MW power supply to the three communities.

Gas Wealth for the Nation, Darkness for Host Communities

The irony is difficult to ignore. The Utorogu area, spanning Ughelli South and Udu Local Government Areas of Delta State, is endowed with substantial natural gas resources that contribute to Nigeria’s energy infrastructure and generate significant economic value. Yet, the communities whose ancestral lands host these resources continue to live without the electricity the project was intended to provide.

How can natural gas extracted from our land contribute to national development and commercial prosperity while Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan remain in darkness?

The host communities are not asking for special privileges. They are demanding the fulfilment of a development commitment to provide 20MW of electricity that should translate the benefits of resource extraction into tangible improvements in their lives.

Why Federal Government Intervention Is Necessary

The continued failure to complete the project calls for an independent assessment of its current state, the equipment procured, the funds expended and the outstanding work required to make it operational. The focus must shift from explanations and claims of progress to the delivery of actual electricity.

We consequently call for the following measures:

1. Federal Government takeover: President Tinubu should direct NNPCL and the relevant agencies to assume responsibility for completing the project.
2. Independent audit and investigation: The technical execution, contracts and expenditure should be reviewed, with appropriate action taken where evidence of wrongdoing is established.
3. Completion and commissioning: A clear timetable should be established to deliver a technically sound and reliable 20MW power-generation facility for all three communities.
4. Community participation and accountability: Representatives of Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan should be involved in monitoring progress, while a sustainable arrangement is established for the facility’s operation and maintenance.

The Time to Act Is Now

The Utorogu Power Project must not become another abandoned development promise to the people of the Niger Delta. The natural gas resources of these communities contribute to wider national and commercial interests, yet the communities themselves remain without the electricity they were promised.

President Tinubu must intervene to ensure that the project is completed and delivers its intended benefits. The success of this intervention should be measured not by photographs of project facilities or announcements of progress, but by the actual delivery of the promised 20MW electricity supply to Otughievwen, Otor-Udu and Iwhrekan.

Our natural resources must not continue to power national development while our communities remain in darkness. The Federal Government must take over the Utorogu Power Project and bring this prolonged failure to an end.

Zik Gbemre
October 24,2026

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