Uche Cecil Izuora
There will be improved electricity supply in many parts of Lagos as Government on Monday commissioned two upgraded transmission substations in parts of the state.
The facilities will provide an additional 208 megawatts of bulk transmission capacity to one of the country’s most economically active corridors.
At Ijora, two new 100MVA transformers lifted the substation’s capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, an additional 112MW. At Apapa Road, a new Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) added 96MW, replacing an outdoor transformer that had served as a stopgap since the original facility, commissioned in 1985, was decommissioned.
Speaking at the commissioning, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the upgrades were part of the administration’s response to years of transmission constraints and infrastructure decay. He described President Tinubu as showing “fearless commitment to addressing the structural constraints that have held our economy back,” linking the upgrade to the administration’s stated goal of building a one trillion-dollar economy.
Tegbe commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for supporting the projects and said the Ministry would continue reinforcing transmission infrastructure nationwide to close the gap between available generation and the capacity to deliver it, a gap officials say has repeatedly stranded power that the grid could not evacuate.
In his welcome address at the Apapa transmission facility, the Managing Director/CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the installation and energisation of two new 60MVA transformers and modern Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) had tripled the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA, while the Ijora facility now has a capacity of 230MVA. He said the upgrade would increase bulk power available to Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) for onward supply to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and other critical commercial areas.
Abdulaziz described the projects, sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and World Bank respectively, in partnership with TCN, as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the transmission network and stabilising the national grid. He commended the Ministry of Power, JICA, the Government of Japan, Lagos State Government and other stakeholders for their support, while appealing for similar grant assistance for other critical sections of the transmission network.
The ceremonies drew senior officials, including Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki (represented by his Deputy), and JICA Nigeria’s Chief Representative, Ishigame Keiji, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, the CEO of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Directors and Ministerial Aides from the Federal Ministry of Power, Representative of Lagos State Government, as well as representatives of the Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution companies.