FEC approves 16 power contracts worth N65.3bn

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the execution of power projects worth N65.3 billion in the country.

The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), who presided at the FEC meeting at Council Chambers of the State House, approved all the 16 memos on power presented by the Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu.

He announced that the federal government had placed orders for power equipment, assuring that Nigerians will start to enjoy the investments in the power sector.

“Today, I presented to council 16 memos, which I seek for council’s approval and the council graciously approved all of them. At this point, let me say what these approvals will do to the nation’s electricity supply.

“As we are all aware, the major problem we’re having in the electricity supply industry is to be able to evacuate sufficient electricity and distribute them. That is to say, we have a very weak transmission grid and distribution segment of the value chain,” Aliyu said.

On the epileptic power supply in the country, the Minister blamed it on lack of attention to the development of the sector by past administrations.

According to Aliyu, the present administration has done more than any other government to ensure that Nigerians enjoy improved supply of electricity.

He said contrary to the impression that nothing was being done to tackle epileptic power supply, the government was doing a lot to remedy the situation with more investments in the sector.

“We may not be having much problem with generation. So, unless we are able to strengthen the electricity grid which is nationwide and to expand and to be able to evacuate what the grid can take to consumers; we will have a lot of problems ahead of us.

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“What we are doing currently through various and several interventions is to be able to repair the grid by constructing new transmission lines, bringing in new equipments to replace the old ones at our substations. So, that will release more capacity to the distribution and leading to the customers.

“The operational capacity as you all know now is hovering around 5,000 megawatts and the transmission and distribution.

“So these projects that we brought to council today and got approvals are all geared towards strengthening the willing capacity of the transmission and towards distribution, even though as you all know, the distribution segment of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI is been privatized, but we cannot fold our arms and allow them to continue not to do much in order to evacuate what the transmission can bring.

“But as as it is now, even the transmission is not that strong. So, we need to put more investment into the transmission so that we can improve the willing capacity of the TCN to be able to take up enough electricity from the generation,” Aliyu explained.

Speaking on the 16 memos on power presented, the minister said: “FEC approved $65,606,420, €15,152,651 and N31,360,272,397 respectively for the award of contract for the construction of a 2X60MVA 132/33 KVA substation at Ikare-Akoko and 2×132 KV Lines Bay Extension at Oke-Agbe, Ondo State at the cost of $9,9928,912.80 and N2,037,076,700.00.

“Supply of 65 Hilux vehicles and 20 SUVs nationwide at the cost of N2,741,787,500.00. Procurement of 1,500 drums of transformer oil nationwide at N322,500,000.00. Supply of 19 Sergi transformer explosion and fire protection devices nationwide at €5,326,663,70 and N347,629,092.57.

“Construction of 142KV double circuit line in Ikere-Ijesa-Isu-Ilupeju towns, Ado-Ekiti State, $30,880,393.82 and N8,344,898,490.86. Construction of New National Control Center at Osogbo, Osun State at N1,168,318,638.68.

“Construction of New National Control Center at Gwagwalada, FCT at N1,161,915,489.76. Supply of 180 of Grounding Equipment nationwide at €686,043.50 and N41,378,244.25. Additional work on 330KV double line to Mando substation in Kaduna at 

N893,011,356.42.”

He also said the council approved the “construction of 2X60MVA, 132/33KV substation at Ogbomosho and 2X 132KVLine Bags Extension at Ganmo substation at Ilorin at €5,274,245.00 and N457,708,341.02.

“Contracts for design, manufacture, supply at N4,325,652,643.50. Installation and commissioning of transmission lines of 330/132/33KV Lekki, Lagos. LOT 1 and LOT 2 at N2,812,767,499.00.

“Augmentation for the construction of 2X60MVA 132/33 KVA substation at Malumfashi and 4X132KV Line Bats at Kankara at Katsina at N176,517,897.88.

“Supply and delivery of 40 each of primary and secondary injection test sets nationwide at €3,865,700.00 and N212,386,640.000,” the power minister said.