Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power, says the federal government has paid N1.2 trillion out of the N2.3 trillion it owes operators in the sector.
Tegbe spoke on Wednesday while briefing journalists after
the federal executive council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola
Tinubu, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
The minister said the payment is part of efforts to ease
liquidity constraints in the electricity sector, especially those affecting gas
supply to power generation companies (GenCos).
He said the government is also working to stabilise the
national grid, expand transmission capacity and improve electricity delivery to
consumers.
Tegbe said the ministry has begun a nationwide technical
audit of power infrastructure to identify ageing facilities and those that need
urgent upgrades, noting that the country has been divided into three energy
zones to guide interventions.
According to the minister, Lagos and its environs account
for about 50 percent of national electricity demand, while the other zones
cover Abuja, Kano, and other areas that need improved transmission and supply.
Tegbe said the government plans to expand transmission
capacity from about 5,000 megawatts to over 19,000 megawatts, to match
Nigeria’s generation capacity, which he put at more than 13,000 megawatts.
He said FEC approved three projects to strengthen the
national transmission network.
The projects are the upgrade of the Katampe transmission
substation, which serves the north-central region; the design and manufacture
of three 300-megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformers for the Egbin transmission
substation, which serves the Lagos axis; and the reconstruction of a 35.6km
transmission line on the Shagamu axis from single-circuit to double-circuit.
Tegbe said the projects are expected to improve the
capacity, stability, and resilience of the grid.
On alternative power sources, the minister said 14 federal
universities have been equipped with solar mini-grids with capacities ranging
from one to five megawatts, while 11 other institutions have received funding
through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
He said the initiative covers nearly 30 institutions, adding
that the University of Abuja’s solar mini-grid was inaugurated about three
weeks ago, with similar projects planned for other universities.
Tegbe said the government, in collaboration with the federal
ministry of health, has also completed and energised solar mini-grids in five
teaching hospitals.
According to him, the projects are meant to provide reliable
electricity to critical public institutions and reduce their dependence on the
national grid.
The minister said the government has started clearing more
than 300 containers of power equipment stranded at the ports.
He said Tinubu directed the ministry to work with the
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to
facilitate their clearance and deployment for electricity projects.
Tegbe also said construction has begun on a new national
control centre in Osogbo, Osun state, to replace the existing one, which he
said was built 64 years ago.
He said the new centre will have modern technology to
improve grid monitoring and management.
The minister added that the government will continue to
settle outstanding debts, upgrade transmission infrastructure and expand
alternative energy projects to improve power supply.
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