Nigeria, April 29 -- Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, is betting that the country's chronic electricity shortages can be tackled outside the national grid, scaling up state-backed power generation and distribution after securing 400 megawatts of new supply.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, disclosed this on Tuesday at a conference organised by BusinessDay newspaper, saying the state is determined to reduce dependence on the fragile national grid.

The move comes as Nigeria's centralised electricity system continues to struggle, with frequent grid collapses and generation levels that remain far below national demand.

"We are seeking to move beyond a single point of failure," Reuters quot...