The Bayelsa State Government is set to inaugurate a 60-megawatt gas-fired power plant, a 630-metre bridge in Southern Ijaw, and a dual carriageway linking New Yenagoa City to Gbarantoru. Governor Douye Diri announced the developments during the March Praise Night at King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa. The power project at Elebele in Ogbia Local Government Area is 99 percent complete and will undergo a test run before full operation. President Bola Tinubu is expected to officiate the inauguration. When operational, the plant will supply more than double the 24 megawatts the state currently receives from the national grid.
The Angiama-Oporoma bridge, the longest in the state, was initially started under the Buhari administration with a groundbreaking by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. It forms part of the road network to Agge, expected to be completed by year-end, subject to funding. The new dual carriageway will serve as a bypass to the Yenagoa-Mbiama road. Governor Diri emphasized that electricity will be billed via a pay-as-you-go system to prevent overcharging. He urged political actors to remain peaceful as political activities intensify nationwide.
Douye Diri is delivering visible infrastructure after years of unmet promises, but the pay-as-you-go model reveals the real cost of self-reliance. For Bayelsa residents, the 60-megawatt plant means more power than ever from the national grid, but only if they can afford it. This isn't a fix for Nigeria's power crisis — it's a state stepping into a federal failure. The precedent sets a template others may have to copy, not because it's ideal, but because there's no alternative.
