• FG hails TCN for its commitment
From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commissioned a new 1x100MVA, 132/33kV power transformer at the Alausa Transmission Substation in Lagos, a development expected to provide more stable electricity to at least 70,000 residents in Alausa and surrounding communities.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the project reflected the Federal Government’s deliberate approach to addressing structural bottlenecks in the power sector. He said the strategy was to identify constraints, invest in critical infrastructure, remove bottlenecks and unlock additional capacity.
Tegbe linked the upgrades to President Bola Tinubu’s determination to address infrastructure constraints limiting Nigeria’s economic potential, noting that ageing equipment and stranded generation capacity would continue to be addressed nationwide.
The TCN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the installation marked a major step in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the nation’s transmission network under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He explained that the new transformer replaced an existing 1x30MVA unit, raising Alausa’s total capacity by 70MVA, from 135MVA to 205MVA.
According to Abdulaziz, the increased capacity was designed to meet growing electricity demand in the area and improve service delivery through the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company. He said the project was executed by Shanghai Electric Ltd under a World Bank-funded initiative that commenced in January 2021.
He noted that despite implementation challenges, TCN remained committed to delivering critical infrastructure, adding that the transformer had been energised to enable the wheeling of additional bulk power to distribution load centres.
The TCN boss said the benefits of the project would extend beyond Lagos, as the upgrade would increase the volume of bulk power the company could wheel to distribution load centres nationwide. He added that the project would reinforce grid stability and ensure that more bulk power reached distribution companies for onward delivery to consumers.
Abdulaziz credited the achievement to the continued support of the Presidency and the Minister of Power, while thanking President Tinubu, the World Bank, Lagos State Government, contractors, engineers and other stakeholders for their collaboration. He reaffirmed TCN’s commitment to sustaining and expanding the national transmission grid to support a more reliable electricity supply.
