The Federal Government has commenced the construction of a 132 kilovolts transmission line and a 2 by 60MVA transmission substation and a switching station in Ekiti state to raise the state’s capacity by 204 megawatts (MW).
A statement issued in Abuja by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Ndidi Mbah, quoted the Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, as speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.
The minister said the project consists of a 50 kilometre stretch of 132kV transmission line from Ikere (Ado Ekiti) with a turn in – turn out at Ijesa Isu that terminates at Ilupeju Ekiti.
According to him, it also has a 2X60MVA, 132/33kV transmission substation with four line bays at Ijesa Isu Ekiti with a switching station at Ikere (Ado Ekiti) in the state.
The minister, who was represented by the Managing Director and CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said in various transmission regions, nationwide, TCN is equally executing substations and lines projects which are all at various stages of execution.
“These are a clear indication 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 off-take by Benin DisCo for its customers in Ekiti and environs.
“The substations’ project also will 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.
The minister also called on the Ekiti residents to support the government efforts against vandalism of power facilities.
In his remarks, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said, the state receives just 26MW of electricity from the national grid.
“This level of electricity supply is worrisome and grossly inadequate going by the energy needs of our population, estimated to be around 150 megawatts in 2014.
“Beyond this intolerable level, the quality of the electricity supply is grossly below standard due to the non-availability of adequate 132/33KV transmission line and the associated equipment that can help improve the quality of power to be delivered to our people, especially those in the Interior and the rural areas’’, he said.
Represented by his deputy, Bisi Egbeyemi, Fayemi said although, the project is one of the Federal Government’s awarded contracts, “for us as a state, the project, when completed will complement the plans of the Ekiti state Government at improving the quality of energy supply to the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.”
