The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, yesterday said the attainment of 10,000 mega watts of electricity before the end of the year was possible if adequate fund is provided.
Nebo spoke while defending his ministry’s 2014 budget together with those of other 6 agencies under it which amounted to N59.05 billion before the House of Representatives Committee on Power.
The agencies are Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Rural Electrification Agency (REA), National Electricity Commission (NERC), National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN), NELMCO and NBET.
He also said areas of priority for the ministry in the current year would include the completion of 215MW Kaduna power project, completion of bankable Feasibility studies on 17 small/medium hydropower sites, coal-fired Power Plants at Enugu/Gombe axis.
Other highlights of the 2014 activities of the ministry, according to the minister, include fast-tracking the development of 70MW Zenguru hydropower projects, fast track Operation Electrify Nigeria Project, development of the power component of 40MW Kashimbilla Multiple purpose Dam, fast track the completion of the Power Component of 34MW Dandinkowa Dam in Gombe state, amongst others.
Details of the budget showed that N20,59 billion goes for the main ministry, N24,91 billion is for TCN while N7,461 billion is for REA.
Similarly, N1.750 billion is budgeted for NERC, N 2.607 billion for NAPTIN while 585.34 billion and N1.142 billion were earmarked for NELMCO and NBET respectively.
