By Ayomide Otitoju
The Federal Government has commissioned upgraded transmission substations at Ijora and Apapa in Lagos, adding 208 megawatts of bulk transmission capacity to the national grid.
The projects were commissioned on Monday as part of efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address longstanding transmission constraints and improve electricity supply.
At Ijora, two new 100MVA transformers increased the substation’s capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, representing an additional 112MW.
At Apapa Road, a new Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) added 96MW and replaced an outdoor transformer that had served as a temporary solution after the original facility, commissioned in 1985, was decommissioned.
Speaking at the commissioning, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects were part of the government’s efforts to address years of infrastructure decay and transmission bottlenecks in the power sector.
Tegbe said the upgrades would help bridge the gap between available electricity generation and the capacity of the transmission network to evacuate power.
He also commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for supporting the projects and pledged continued investment in transmission infrastructure across the country.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the installation and energisation of two new 60MVA transformers and modern GIS equipment had increased the Apapa substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.
He said the upgraded facilities would increase bulk power available to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) for distribution to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and other commercial areas.
Abdulaziz said the Ijora substation now has a capacity of 230MVA.
He explained that the projects were sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank in partnership with TCN.
According to him, the upgrades demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the transmission network and improving the stability of the national grid.
The commissioning ceremonies were attended by senior government officials and representatives of Japan, JICA, Lagos State Government, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), EKEDC and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, among others.
