A New Dawn for Bayelsa’: Gas Turbine Ready as Dressman Says Consumers Must Pay for Power. By Chris Mark 

A New Dawn for Bayelsa’: Gas Turbine Ready as Dressman Says Consumers Must Pay for Power.

By Chris Mark 

The Director General of the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency, BYERA, Dr. Rosalyn Dressman, has expressed confidence that the newly built gas turbine will transform the landscape of the state.

The gas turbine, which was built by the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, is a catalyst for growth, driving economic activity and improving the quality of life for the people of the state.

Speaking to newsmen while awaiting the commissioning of the project by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday at the project site in Elebele, Bayelsa State, the DG noted that it’s a dream come true for Bayelsans.

According to her, with the gas turbine in place, it will usher in a new era of stable electricity supply that will further transform the state and bring about the needed development.

She, however, noted: “While residents eagerly anticipate improved power supply, expectations must be mutual. We are expecting the President to commission this project, and naturally, Bayelsans are asking when they will begin to enjoy steady electricity. But expectation is a two-way process — the distributors also have their expectations.”

Speaking further, she explained that the process of delivering power involves several interconnected stages, such as generation, distribution, regulation, and consumption. She added that her role, as a bridge between electricity distributors and consumers, is to connect both worlds — the distributors and the people expecting electricity.

Her words: “Power must first be generated, then distributed, regulated, and finally consumed. We have achieved the generation stage, distribution is underway, and regulation is in place. Now, consumers are waiting to receive it, and that is perfectly valid.”

She maintained that the state is fully prepared to deliver electricity and that the governor, who she believes is committed to the betterment of the state and the well-being of Bayelsans, supports the project.

Dr Dressman stressed and appealed to Bayelsians to note that electricity is not a free commodity and urged residents to be ready to pay for what they consume, adding that even sunlight, though freely given, requires processing before it can power homes.

“And that process comes at a cost. Electricity is a major business and a functioning market, involving generators, distributors, and consumers, all of whom must play their part responsibly,” she emphasised.

Highlighting longstanding challenges, Dr.Dressman described Bayelsa’s historical disadvantage within Nigeria’s power structure. The state, she said, has often suffered outages due to its dependence on infrastructure shared with neighboring states.

“We do not have an independent power infrastructure. Whenever there is vandalism or disruption in other states, Bayelsa is usually the first to feel the impact. This is not a failure of the current administration but an inherited structural challenge,” she clarified.

“The state government’s decision to pursue an independent electricity system is a bold and necessary step forward. Unlike many states that rely on private investors for power projects, Bayelsa’s initiative is government-driven and designed to directly benefit its citizens.”

Dr.Dressman further outlined the broader socio-economic impact of unreliable electricity in the state,she noted that inadequate power supply has hindered education, healthcare, and business growth.

“Children struggle to go to school early because families cannot preserve food, households spend more on daily meals due to lack of storage, hospitals face operational challenges, and in some cases, lives are lost though these realities often go undocumented. Many businesses have also left the state due to poor power supply,she said.

However, she expressed confidence that the new electricity project will transform Bayelsa’s economic landscape with improved power supply, she expects a surge in investment and commercial activity.

“This is a new dawn for Bayelsa. With reliable electricity, we anticipate increased investments and economic growth as for tariffs, they will be fair and affordable, so residents should have no cause for concern,” she assured.

She reiterated that while the government is ready to deliver electricity, the success of the initiative ultimately depends on collective responsibility particularly the willingness of consumers to actively participate in the power market.