Reassurance of fresh investment in the power sector came on Tuesday as the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, hinted of the Federal Government’s plan to further intensify efforts aimed at ensuring stable electricity supply across the country.
The Minister was emphatic that the administration of President Bola Tinubu would not relent in investing in “critical transmission infrastructure across the country, particularly in areas with significant industrial and economic activities.
“The administration of President Bola Tinubu remains very firmly committed to the transformation of the Nigerian electricity sector. We will continue to support investment across the electricity value chain. We will invest in critical transmission infrastructure, both in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna-Kano corridor, Enugu, Port Harcourt, across the entire nation, especially where industry hubs sit”.
Tegbe, gave this assurance while inaugurating two transmission projects located across two Transmission Substations in Alausa and Lekki, both in Lagos State, yesterday. The projects included a 1x100MVA, 132/33kV power transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation, while at the Lekki substation, another 2x60MVA, 1x300MVA and 330/132/33kV transformers were inaugurated.
Speaking at the Alausa Transmission Station, Tegbe noted that the significance is beyond another engineering project. Rather, he said, it is a strategic investment in Ikeja, which he observed to be the nerve centre of commerce in the state and one of the most consequentially economic corridors in the country.
According to him, with the upgrade of infrastructure in the Alausa Substation, transmission capacity now increases from 135MVA to 205MVA or equivalent of 164 megawatts of power delivery. Besides, he explained, it has also increased the quantum of power delivery to Ikeja Electric, its franchise area, adding that the additional 70MVA will serve additional households or about 280,000 people on the minimum.
“As a deliberate strengthening of strategic locations, ranging from the seat of government to industrial estates and industries that employ our people, Ikeja is where their ambition meets the industrious nature of Nigerians.
“With yet another strategic investment in our power infrastructure, we are demonstrating once again the determination of this administration to confront the infrastructure constraints that have limited Nigeria’s economic progress,” Tegbe said.
Similarly, the minister at the Lekki Transmission Substation, said the area has become one of the most important growth areas in Lagos and Nigeria, with residential, commercial and industrial developments driving electricity demand.
He assured that the government’s investment strategy would increasingly focus on areas where electricity could unlock production, investment, employment and economic value.
“And that is going to continue our focus, and that’s why I said this is an axis that we must take very seriously, we must concentrate on, and allow that expansion that is happening in Lekki to benefit from whatever we’re doing here,” he said.
In similar vein, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, said the Lekki Transmission Substation project inauguration represents the backbone for industrial growth, and more comfort for the homes of over 134,000 residents who will now enjoy a more steady and reliable electricity through the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC). NigerianBusiness Directory
The project, funded by the World Bank, he explained, is a strategic upgrade that has doubled the Lekki Substation’s capacity, at 132kV level, with output increasing by 96MW with the addition of 120MVA transformer capacity.
“This is part of efforts to ensure that we deliver on our mandate of building a more robust, resilient, and future-ready national grid. With the additional capacity, the Lagos axis of the transmission network is now better positioned to wheel more bulk power to Eko Electricity Distribution Company who will offtake for distribution to her customers within Lekki and its environs. This invariably means greater opportunities for businesses to expand, for industries to thrive, and for more jobs to be created, all contributing to the economic prosperity of Lagos State and by extension, the nation,” Abdulaziz said.
He thanked the development partner, the World Bank, for their continued support in making this project a reality and urged all Nigerians to work with TCN in protecting critical national assets. “Transmission infrastructure is the lifeline of our economy. By safeguarding it against vandalism, we enable TCN to continue to deliver on its mandate of transmitting bulk electricity in a more efficient and effective manner to every part of the country,” the TCN boss said.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
