The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, says the Federal Government is determined to tackle infrastructure constraints limiting Nigeria’s economic potential.
Tegbe spoke on Tuesday during the inauguration of upgraded transmission facilities at Alausa and Lekki substations in Lagos.
The projects include a new 1x100MVA, 132/33kV transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation in Ikeja and additional 2x60MVA, 132/33kV transformers and a 1x300MVA transformer at the Lekki Transmission Substation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the projects are part of efforts by the Federal Government and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to expand bulk electricity transmission capacity and support economic activities across Lagos.
NAN also reports that the Federal Government on Monday upgraded transmission substations in Ijora and Apapa, adding 208 megawatts (MW) of bulk transmission capacity to the national grid.
The Ijora substation’s capacity increased from 90MVA to 230MVA, while the Apapa Road facility rose from 60MVA to 180MVA.
Speaking at Alausa, Tegbe said Ikeja is a critical economic and administrative hub whose electricity infrastructure must keep pace with its growing activities.
“Alausa is not just another location on the electricity network.
“It sits within one of the most economically and administratively important parts of Lagos State.
“This axis supports a dense concentration of government institutions, commercial establishments, businesses, residential communities and economic activities,” he said.
Tegbe said the Alausa 132/33kV Transmission Substation initially had one 60MVA, one 45MVA and one 30MVA transformer, giving it a combined installed capacity of 135MVA.
He said TCN replaced the 30MVA transformer with a new 100MVA unit, raising the substation’s capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA, equivalent to about 164MW.
According to him, the intervention has increased the quantum of bulk power available to Ikeja Electric by 80MW for onward distribution to consumers within its franchise area.
At Lekki, Tegbe said the upgrade was designed to provide the electricity capacity required to support businesses, industries and communities in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing economic corridors.
He said the Lekki 330/132/33kV Transmission Substation initially had one 300MVA, 330/132kV transformer and two 60MVA, 132/33kV transformers, giving it a 120MVA capacity at the 132/33kV level.
Tegbe said TCN had installed two additional 60MVA, 132/33kV transformers and a 300MVA transformer, alongside nine additional 33kV feeders, to improve bulk power delivery to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) network.
He said the intervention had doubled the 132/33kV capacity of the substation from 120MVA to 240MVA, equivalent to about 192MW.
“Lekki represents the Nigeria we are building toward: more industrial, more commercially active, more connected to global markets and increasingly attractive to domestic and international capital.
“As investment flows into a corridor such as this, electricity infrastructure cannot be an afterthought,” he said.
Also, Mr Sule Abdulaziz, Managing Director, TCN, said the projects reflected the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration and the company to strengthening Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure.
Abdulaziz said the Alausa upgrade, upon energisation, would provide more stable and reliable electricity to about 70,000 residents in Alausa and its environs through Ikeja Electric.
He said the upgrade would also increase the quantum of bulk power TCN could wheel to distribution load centres, thereby improving grid stability and electricity delivery to consumers.
At Lekki, Abdulaziz said the newly installed 2x60MVA transformers would support industrial expansion and improve electricity supply to more than 134,000 residents through EKEDC.
He said the World Bank-funded project had doubled the substation’s 132kV capacity, increasing output by 96MW through the addition of 120MVA transformer capacity.
According to him, the additional capacity would enable the Lagos transmission network to wheel more bulk electricity to EKEDC for distribution to customers in 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 and, by extension, the nation,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, said infrastructure remains critical component of development.
Ogunleye commended the minister and TCN for improving electricity infrastructure in Ikeja and Lekki.
He, however, urged TCN and the Federal Government to extend similar interventions to Epe and Badagry areas of the state.
