Nigerian Government To Add 204MW Of Electricity To South-West Ekiti State

The Federal Government of Nigeria says plans are underway to add 204 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity to boost power supply in Ekiti state.

The Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, said this in a a statement by General Manager, Public Affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mrs Ndidi Mbah, on Wednesday, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Abubakar said the Federal Government had begun the construction of a 132 kilovolts transmission line and a 2 by 60 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) transmission substation and a switching station in the state to raise the capacity by 204 megawatts.

The minister, who was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Ado Ekiti, said that the project consisted of a 50 km stretch of 132kV transmission line from Ikere (Ado Ekiti) with a turn in – turn out at Ijesa Isu that terminates at Ilupeju Ekiti.

Aliyu, represented by the Managing Director of TCN, Mr Sule Abdulaziz, said the project
also had a 2X60MVA, 132/33kV transmission substation with four line bays at Ijesa Isu Ekiti with a switching station at Ikere (Ado Ekiti).

”For TCN, this is a very strategic project and we believe it will have massive impact on bulk power transmission in Ekiti and environs.

“The project is part of the many projects being undertaken by the Transmission Company of Nigeria in pursuit of its grid expansion programme.

”Which is in line with Mr. President’s mandate for the expansion of the power sector for sustainable development,” he said.

The minister said that in various transmission regions, nationwide, TCN is equally executing substations and lines projects which are all at various stages of execution.

”’These are clear indications that the Federal Government is not relenting in its determination to ensure that the nation’s power sector receives the desired boost.

“For the residents of Ekiti State and its environs, the additional 204MW capacity to the grid means that more bulk supply will be readily available for offtake by Benin DisCo for its customers in Ekiti and environs,” he noted.

”The substations’ project will also take care of suppressed load in this axis and relieve the Ado-Ekiti substation which has been overburdened to ensure a more reliable electricity supply to the people of Ekiti,” he said.

Aliyu called on Ekiti residents to support government efforts against vandalism of power facilities.