FEC approves N1.4 billion for electricity equipment

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved N1.4 billion for purchase of additional equipments for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), as part of efforts to improve power supply in the country.

The approval came less than one week after the country expirenced the fifth grid collapse in three months.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, made the disclosure while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I presented two memos from the ministry of power for the Transmission Company of Nigeria,” he said.

He said the first one was a variation of the sum of a contract for 132/33 KV substation at Kafanchan, Kaduna State, with a KV line base extension at Jos substation, in Plateau State. This is in the sum of N132.7 million, he said.

The second approval he got was for the supply of handling equipment and operational vehicles for the Transmission Company of Nigeria at the cost of N1.3 billion.

“The second memo was for the supply of handling equipment, haulage and operational vehicles for the TCN at N1, 338, 159, 080. 88. They are heavy lifting equipment that the TCN requires for doing its work in the store and on the field, while changing equipment and moving transformers and the council graciously approved,” he said.

The FEC also ordered the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) to begin negotiations with Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to establish the new Okpai 11 power plant on the grid.

The government entered an agreement with the Nigeria

National Petroleum Corporation Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (NGPIC a subsidiary of NNPC) on the Okoloma gas processing plant to restore the full capacity of the 650MW Alom VI combined cycle power plant.

The government said the recurring collapse happened as a result of vandalism, poor management system and gas supply issues.