By Rayyanu Bala

“Lafia now enjoys 20 to 22 hours of electricity daily. Thank you, Governor Abdullahi Sule.”
Those were the words of Hajara Danyaro, a member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. And, to be fair, she may not have said anything other than the truth.
For many residents of Lafia, the improvement in electricity supply is something they can feel and experience. You do not need to conduct a scientific survey to know that power supply has improved in the state capital. People are spending more hours with electricity than they used to, and that deserves recognition.
Credit where credit is due.
Governor Abdullahi Sule deserves commendation for whatever efforts his administration has made to improve electricity supply in Lafia. At a time when Nigerians are constantly complaining about the cost and reliability of electricity, any government that contributes to making power more available deserves to be acknowledged.
But while we applaud the progress, there is another electricity matter in Lafia that deserves the governor’s attention.
It is the L.15 substation located opposite State Low Cost along Shendam Road.
For more than ten years, this substation has reportedly remained damaged and largely unusable. For all those years, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) did little or nothing visible to rehabilitate it.
Then came some good news.
Some months ago, Governor Abdullahi Sule approved funds for the rehabilitation of the substation. The governor announced the approval while inaugurating the chairman and members of the Nasarawa State Electricity Regulatory Commission at Government House, Lafia, on March 6, 2026.
That announcement naturally raised hopes.
After all, what could be better than having another functional electricity infrastructure in Lafia? If properly rehabilitated, the L.15 substation could potentially contribute to improving the reliability and distribution of electricity in parts of the city.
But here is where the concern begins.
Since the governor announced the approval, what has happened?
As of now, there appears to be no visible work going on at the substation. The facility remains in the same condition, with residents wondering when the promised rehabilitation will actually begin.
And this is a legitimate question.
If funds have been approved, where are the contractors? Has the rehabilitation contract been awarded? Has the money been released? Is there a technical or administrative issue delaying the project? Is AEDC involved? Is the state government waiting for something from another agency?
The people of Lafia deserve answers.
This is not  an accusation against the governor or his administration. In fact, because the governor has already taken the step of approving funds for the rehabilitation, it is only fair to ask what is responsible for the delay.
Government announcements should eventually translate into projects that people can see and benefit from.
There is no doubt that improving electricity supply in Lafia is a significant achievement. But a city that is enjoying 20 to 22 hours of electricity can still benefit from additional investments in its power infrastructure. Reliable electricity should not only be about celebrating what is working today; it should also be about fixing what could make the system even better tomorrow.
That is why the L.15 substation deserves attention.
Governor Abdullahi Sule has already demonstrated that his administration is interested in improving electricity supply. The next step should be to ensure that the rehabilitation of the L.15 substation moves from an announcement to a visible reality.
Let the people see the work begin.
Let them know who is handling the project, what the timeline is, and when they can expect the substation to become operational again.
And if there is a genuine reason for the delay, the people deserve to know that too.
For now, Lafia residents have every reason to appreciate the improvement in electricity supply. Hajara Danyaro deserves credit for highlighting it, and Governor Abdullahi Sule deserves credit for the progress.
But we can applaud the progress and still ask questions.
In fact, that is what responsible citizenship is all about.
The electricity is better. Good. The L.15 substation is still waiting. Let us get it fixed too.