Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday commissioned the 2x60MVA, 132/33KV substation in Awka, Anambra State, with a promise that the Federal Government will continue to create enabling environment for businesses to grow.
Prof. Osinbajo noted that for Nigeria’s economy to grow at required rate, small businesses have to be supported by both the Federal and State governments.
He said the new substation, built by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, NDPHC, will deliver about 100 Mega Watts of power to the Anambra state capital and its environs.
He pointed out that “the economy of Nigeria largely depends on effort that is made at the subnational level, that’s the state level. It is the aggregation of the work that is done in the states that tenors to the great economy that we hope and are working for this nation of ours.
“Anambra State revenue has increased from about N10.4 billion in 2014 to N26.37 billion as 2019 and this is another 152 percent increase in the state’s internally generated revenue”.
The Vice President added that the large number of high capacity industries in the state demonstrate the industrious nature of the state indigenes.
He noted that the huge increase in the level of development of the state capital since it was created in 1991 has led to huge demand for more power.
According to him, “Since the technical commissioning of the substation in November 2020, this new substation has been in service providing 33KV evacuation capacity for at least 100MW of power through its two units of 60MVA, a total of 120MVA.
“The commitment of the administration to ensuring the completion of this Awka NIPP 132KVA grid substation now provides a hitherto unavailable 70MW additional power capacity for driving industrial growth and boosting the economy of the state with positive knock on effect on employment and social-economic upliftment for residents of the state”.
Also speaking, the Anambra state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano thanked the Federal Government and the NDPHC for constructing the substation, saying it will greatly boost the industrialization of the state.
Chief Obiano noted that with improved power supply to the state, many industries would save the cost of self generation of electricity.
On his part, the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo disclosed that besides the industries, about a million households will benefit from improved power supply.
“The substation has the capacity to wheel up to 100MW, the implementation is that with 100MW Awka should be well served. We have six feeders, three each going out of the transformers. When it transforms to 33kv, the 33kv lines will take it out to Awka and environs”.
On her part, the Managing Director of News Engineering, the EPC contractor, Josephine Nwaeze disclosed the project executed solely by Nigerians.
She called on the Federal Government to make more projects available to indigenous companies to grow the economy.
Credit: Vanguard News