TCN, AFD Kick-starts Reinforcement Of High Voltage Transmission Ring Project Around Abuja

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The Federal government has kick-started the execution of reinforcement of high-voltage transmission ring around Abuja expected to serve at least 20 years.

The project which is in six lots with completion period of 24 months, will on completion add 1,380MVA transformer capacity equivalent to 624 MW to the grid.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Usman Gur Mohammed, said that the project will solve the transmission and transformation problem of Abuja in electricity supplies.

He said: “This transmission scheme is actually to solve the transmission and transformation problem of Abuja for at least in the next 20 years because currently Abuja has only two 330 KV substation and we are putting additional two.

“Currently Abuja has five 132 KV substation and we are adding another three 330 KV substation. This project is financed by the French Development Agency (AFD).

“While we are happy today is that this project is the first of its kind in our national project. It is being financed by a donor that is doing complete grid chain transmission line and transmission substation. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria. And I’m happy to commend the AFD for the support they have been giving us.

“Now our relationship with AFD is now actually defining our relationship with other donors. That is a fact because even the bidding documents and procurement process we agreed with the AFD is what we are using with our relationship with other donors.”

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Louis Edozien, who performed the official ground breaking for the commencement of the project at site in Dawaki, a Satellite town in Abuja, said that the project is a partnership with everybody committed to putting their best foot forward.

He said the contractors are the most important leg just as he noted that the contractors are first class as their records showed and hoped that they would demonstrate that same first class in execution of the project.

The Deputy Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Mr. Audren De Kerdrel Guillaume, said that the AFD is fully committed to project that generally improve everyday life of the people both in developed and emerging countries of the world.

According to him, “In this regard the supply of quality electricity is profound aspiration of NIgerians across the country, more especially in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The over all aim of this project is to strengthen the power supply, infrastructure and to increase the capacity of the power transmission network around the capital city of Abuja.”