The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved projects to strengthen the country’s power supply.
Abubakar Aliyu, Minister of Power, briefed State House correspondents on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The projects, according to Aliyu, are aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and bolstering the country’s power supply.
“I presented two memos to council today, both of which council approved; the first memo council approved the award of contract for design supply and installation of 1x60MBA, 13233 KV transmission substation with associated 4132 KV line bay extension at Hong local government and Adamawa in the sum of N6.5 billion, which consists of two components, one offshore and one onshore.” At the current CBN exchange rate and 7.5 percent VAT, the offshore is $6.9 million dollars and the onshore is N3.3 billion; the delivery period is 24 months.
“This seeks to increase the supply capacity around that area, and it will affect so many towns and villages, as well as a very important local government headquarters.”
“It will affect Song, Adamawa state’s local government headquarters; Gombi, another local government headquarters; Garkida town, and then Hong.”
“Then there were Mudi, Woba, Michika, and Madagari.” We’re putting a substation near an existing 132 that runs through this area.
“The hope is that by the time all of these interventions we’re making on the grid reach 11,000 or thereabouts, it will be able to withstand and take it off; so, this is the intervention,” says the engineer.
The second memo, according to the minister, was to procure power transformers and associated spare parts for TCN deployment in six locations.
“One is to Aiyede in Oyo; the offshore component is worth 1.8 billion dollars, while the onshore component is worth N98 million.”
‘The second is Gusau in Zamfara; the third is Kankia in Katsina; the fourth is Minna in Niger; and the fifth is Okearo in Ogun.’
“The sixth one is in Damaturu, Yobe; this one is very unusual because, as you may be aware, Maiduguri has been without full electricity for over a year.”
“We were able to take electricity supply through an old 33 KV line that we repaired and restored, and we were able to take 10 megawatts to Maiduguri over 130 kilometres on a single 33 circuit.”
“We restored that around three to four months ago or so; so they are enjoying but only a little; by the time the electricity reaches Maiduguri, it will have dropped to six or seven megawatts due to losses along the way.”
Insurgents, according to Aliyu, vandalised the 330 taking power to Maiduguri.
He claimed that the ministry attempted to restore it several times, but the insurgents would return and tear down the towers.
“So, in the main time, we decided to take the electricity through the 33 KVA which they are enjoying but not as much as they would like.” It is rationed around the clock.
“As a result, we are currently acquiring 33 new double circuits to Maiduguri along the same route.”
“The idea is that if someone tampers with it, it’s easy to restore it within a day or two, as opposed to the larger one, the 330, which takes weeks or months to restore because it’s in the bush.”
“So, as it is now, even the one that we have installed, we have been playing hide and seek; sometimes they will pull one or two poles, which we will repair, and this is why we are doing this endeavour by the roadside; it is this to keep on restoring back.”
He stated that the contractor has returned to repair the main line, 330, which had been vandalised some time ago.
The minister stated that the project would increase the capacity of the Damaturu substation in order to provide enough electricity for Damaturu and its environs, as well as transport some to Maiduguri.
“So, the sixth one costs 6.7 million dollars, while the Damaturu upgrade injection transformer costs N1.3 billion.”
“So, the total approved for these is $22.6 million in dollars and N5.1 billion in naira, and the council graciously approved the two memos,” he said.
