Godwin Emefiele. Photo/TWITTER/CENBANK
Hope Rises For MSMEs As DisCo Commissions Power Infrastructure In Niger
About eight electricity substations worth billions of naira are being constructed across the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states in an intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to address epileptic power supply and spark industrial activities in the north-central region of the country.
As the utility company commissioned a 1X15MVA/33/11Kv injection substation yesterday in Bida, Niger State, stakeholders insisted that there was need for the country to energize small and medium-scale enterprises in rural communities across the country.
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu had last month stated that the apex bank was funding a $250 million project to ensure the rehabilitation of critical interface infrastructure between distribution companies and the transmission segment of the power sector. But AEDC told journalists eight substations, which would drastically improve supply are also ongoing.
The company also disclosed that the cost of maintaining its equipment due to incessant vandalism has more than tripled.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new substation, a former member of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Farouk, who initiated the project stated the move would drastically improve supply across the areas, adding that power supply in the community had been a serious bottleneck.
Farouk called for proper use and protection of the assets, adding that electricity supply was critical to spurring economic activities and addressing insecurity.
Managing Director of AEDC, Adeoye Fadeyibi said the company would be able to supply more electricity and guarantee the quality of supply with the substation.
According to him, frequent outages of power would also be reduced through the new infrastructure. He said that the new management of the company would not relent in ensuring consumers enjoyed more hours of electricity supply.
Represented by his Chief Business Officer, Sani Usman said: “Having this type of critical infrastructure will help us to demand more. The trip-off we use to have will also reduce. This facility has also encouraged us to deploy further facilities that will support the lines connecting the substation.”
The company’s Chief Technical Officer, Kassim Burkullu decried incessant vandalism of the company’s infrastructure, nothing that while vandals steal the critical equipment, they ended up selling it as scraps.
The development, according to him, now cost the company over N1 billion quarterly in maintenance cost.
Burkullu said new projects under the CBN intervention and Siemen deal would strengthen the company’s capacity across its franchise areas.
The Estu Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, who was represented at the event by Yahaya Madaki, cautioned the community against any act of vandalism to the infrastructure, stressing that there was a need for people to protect the substation.
“The new substation, installed in Bida, is a 1X15MVA, 33/11kv Injection Substation with 11kv Panels, one incomers and two outgoing and manned by four Distribution Substation Operators.
“The infrastructure is expected to step down the voltage from 333kv to 11kv, radiates feeders from the substation using the 11kv Breakers and tap-change during off-loading to improve voltage when necessary. The substation would, among other, benefits improve voltage profile in Bida and environs, reduce, of technical losses as a result of low voltage, improve service delivery to Maximum Demand customers and increase revenue generation.”