POWER

The Bayelsa State Government has placed the provision of power as one of its key priorities and has considered the utilization of Gas as a solution to the Energy needs of the state. A new Energy Master Plan and an Eco Industrial Park are currently being developed for the provision of power for both industrial and commercial consumption.

SECTORAL OVERVIEW

Since creation of the State, petroleum & power matters had been handled by different ministries/parastatal. This trend had diffused the state’s focus & policy coherence in responding to energy matters at both local & national levels. Merger of power sector & office of the special adviser on petroleum gave birth to the Ministry of Energy as a response to the state Energy challenges. Energy industry calls for an integrated and focused planning. The ministry was later renamed Ministry of Power with the responsibility of providing the energy security that Bayelsa State needs in order to realise it’s full technological, industrial, economical & social development potentials.

SUMMARY OF KEY OPPORTUNITIES

  • FDI into the power sector qualifies for a federal tax holiday.
  • Investors to benefit from a waiver on all import duties for power plant projects.
  • The construction of an Industrial Park with a power hub powered by gas supplies for the generation of power and production of Gas related products.

INCENTIVES:

  1. The development of the Industrial City and Power Hub for the generation of power from Gas supplies. Bayelsa holds Nigeria’s largest gas reserve and is offering various incentives for power production companies to site power plants within the State to meet the power needs of Nigeria and other countries in the region. 220 hectares of land has been acquired by the State Government for use by companies interested in establishing power plants in the State. Petrochemical industries have also been identified as a key industry receiving investor support in Bayelsa State.
  2. Formalisation of the Registration of Land– Land ownership in Bayelsa is mainly traditional, but the government is undertaking a detailed Global Information Systems mapping of landholdings in 2010 and this will facilitate a comprehensive program of land titling to register all land. The government is also undertaking land appropriation for consolidation into commercial farming areas. While the Government has and periodically exercises the right to allocate land, it will rely in many cases on private sector investors to compensate the occupants with customary right of occupation. The government also expects investors to constructively and positively engage with the local communities e.g. by hiring from the community, developing out-grower programs that link small scale farmers with processing and markets, spending a proportion of revenues on community development, etc.
  3. Improve rural infrastructure – The average person in Bayelsa has to travel 40 kilometres to Yenagoa, by road, boats or otherwise. However, the Government has committed to building 3 new senatorial roads connecting Yenagoa with the districts, and an airport and port.
  4. Electrical Infrastructure – where feasible.
  1. Investor One Stop Shop– Providing support services including business registration, assistance with permits required for the establishment and operations of the business, immigration, property acquisition.
  2. Waiver of Government fees for investment agreements.
  3. Ease in obtaining Certificate of Occupancy
  4. Infrastructure support, where needed.
  5. Data support for feasibility studies
  6. Other incentives on a case by case basis