The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu over the weekend inaugurated the first Service Level Agreement (SLA) power transformer funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Lagos.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 110 Mega Volt Ampree (MVA) at the Isolo 132/33KVA Transmission Sub-Station, Adelabu, thanked CBN for the support and commended TCN for its diligence and dedication in completing the project.
Adelabu said that the project beyond enhancing electricity supply, it has broader implications for the country’s economy through direct impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large industries.
He said that the project would also enhance reduction in operational challenges caused by power shortages, fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities, and driving local and regional development, particularly in Lagos, a critical economic hub of our nation.
“This is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu who recognises that energy is not merely a commodity but the backbone of economic growth and job creation.
“To ensure the growth and sustainability of the sector, the Federal Government continues to implement a multi-pronged approach spanning policy development and strategic implementation plans and ongoing national infrastructure development programmes.
“ To expedite infrastructure expansion, leveraging on bilateral funding to derisk investment, sector commercialisation, and strategic partnership with the investment community and development partners.
“ To address bottlenecks across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry value chain, setting the sector on a path toward bankability and long-term sustainability,”he said.
He said that successes recorded in the power sector had not been without challenges especially at the transmission segment of the value chain adding that in 2024 the sector recorded frequent grid disturbances and dip in supply level due to various reported factors.
He said that the challenges include aging infrastructure, resource limitations, and capacity inadequacy across the value chain, and predominantly the consistent vandalism experienced on the transmission networks across the country.
“ The ministry of power under my leadership is always ready to work actively with TCN to resolve these issues to ensure energy security and sustainability across the country and as part of short-term measures.
“We encourage TCN to have in place a reinforced standard operating procedure for the system, detailed and enforced maintenance plans at the key transmission substations.
” Consistent line tracing especially on lines that are tripping incessantly and critical lines, and assessment of key nodes integrity to prevent future disturbances.
“For our long-term strategies, we plan to work with TCN to complete all ongoing projects and to invest in regional and super grid projects that will enable a more robust and resilient grid system.
“We remain optimistic about the promise and the potential the sector holds to drive socio-economic development in the country, and we believe we shall overcome these challenges through active participation of all stakeholders,” Adelabu said.
In his address, Managing Director of TCN Mr Sule Abdulaziz said, “We are proud of this achievement, as every successfully completed and energised project brings us closer to realising a robust and stable grid system.
“The 110MVA power transformer was successfully energised on Dec. 20th, 2024, contributing an additional 88MW to the substation’s capacity, bringing it to a total of 184MW.
”This enhancement significantly boosts the substation’s ability to provide improved electricity supply to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).
”As a result, IKEDC will be able to transmit more power to critical areas within its network, including Airport Road, Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Council, PTC, Afprint, Idi-Araba, Aswani, and Pure Hygiene, leading to enhanced power availability and reliability for both residential and commercial consumers in these areas.”
He said that TCN installed and energised over 42 Power transformers in several TCN substations nationwide in 2024 alone.
Abdulaziz thanked the federal government, and the minister of power for supporting the course and urging all stakeholders to join TCN in the fight against power installation vandalism.
“Our journey to a robust grid would be significantly accelerated if vandals did not destroy existing infrastructure,” he said.
