By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja
The Federal Government has commissioned upgraded transmission substations at Ijora and Apapa Road in Lagos, adding 208 megawatts (MW) of bulk transmission capacity to the national grid.
The projects, commissioned on Monday by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, are expected to improve electricity supply to major commercial, industrial and residential areas of Lagos.
At the Ijora 132/33kV transmission substation, two new 100MVA transformers increased the facility’s installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, representing an additional 112MW of bulk transmission capacity.
The upgrade is expected to improve power supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities within the franchise area of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
At the Apapa Road transmission substation, the installation of new transformers and modern Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) increased the facility’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA, adding 96MW of transmission capacity.
The project also replaced an outdoor transformer that had served as a temporary measure following the decommissioning of the original facility, which was commissioned in 1985.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Ijora project, Tegbe said the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address structural challenges that had constrained Nigeria’s electricity sector.
He said the significance of the Ijora upgrade went beyond the installation of new transformers, noting that the facility serves an area with a high concentration of industries, ports, commercial centres and residential communities.
According to him, the original Ijora substation had three 30MVA transformers with a combined installed capacity of 90MVA, equivalent to approximately 72MW.
He said the growth in population, commercial activities and industrial development had rendered the existing capacity inadequate, resulting in suppressed load and constrained electricity supply.
“Today, we are changing that story,” the minister said, adding that the additional 112MW of transmission capacity would create greater economic opportunities for businesses and consumers in the area.
Tegbe said the government’s objective in the power sector was not merely to generate more electricity, but to develop a transmission system capable of delivering available power to areas where it was needed.
He noted that transmission constraints had, over the years, limited the evacuation of available generation, leaving some electricity stranded because of inadequate network capacity.
The minister linked the government’s investment in electricity infrastructure to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy, stressing that reliable electricity supply was critical to achieving the target.
He commended the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), World Bank, Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited and other development and technical partners for their contributions to the projects.
At the Apapa facility, TCN Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the installation and energisation of two new 60MVA transformers and modern GIS equipment had tripled the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.
He said the upgrade would increase the bulk power available to EKEDC for onward distribution to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and other major commercial areas.
Abdulaziz described the projects, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank in partnership with TCN, as evidence of the government’s commitment to modernising the transmission network and improving grid stability.
He appealed for similar grant assistance to facilitate the rehabilitation and upgrading of other critical sections of the transmission network.
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