130 power transmission projects abandoned since 2002

Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Dr Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, said that about 130 power transmission projects have been abandoned across the country since 2002 due to inadequate funds to execute them.
Abubakar disclosed this at the electricity customers’ forum organised by the Eko Electricity Distribution Plc., in Lagos.
He said that the incumbent administration would ensure the execution of the projects with a view to enabling the power sector add value to the lives of Nigerians.
He said the Omotosho/Egbin 330/11 KVA line, which is one of the projects,  would be given priority attention in the 2017 budget.
“We have the capacity to generate 7,500 megawatts of electricity but we are faced with issues of gas challenge.
“The country power generation hovers between 3,000 megawatts and 3,300 megawatts due to challenge caused by inadequate gas supply,’’ he said.
Abubakar, however, regretted that the development could not be attained now causing generation to shrink to about 300 megawatts due to gas constraint in the country.
According to him, the incumbent government is determined to turn the challenges to opportunities which would spur the growth of the sector.
In his remarks, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Power, Mr Daniel Asuquo, emphasised that the lower chamber was cooperating with the Federal Government to ensure the growth of the nation’s power sector.
Asuquo commended the new owners of Eko Electricity Distribution Company on the initiatives taken to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of power supply to its customers within its network despite the shortfall in power allocation from the national grid.
He said the initiative by the company to source supplementary power through embedded generation options would guarantee greater stability of supply.
Asuquo said it would also reduce the DISCO’s Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collections Loss, ATC&C; he said and urged the company to improve on its metering system.
He said that Eko Electricity Distribution had mopped up excess power from existing captive generation within its licence area and entered into bilateral agreements with Independent Power Providers for power generation.
This, he said, had enhanced quality service delivery to its customers, adding that the firm should improve on its metering of customers.
He said that the embedded generation options being explored by the DISCO would not only improve revenue collection efficiency, it would improve its distribution network and overall performance through the initiative.
The Head, Consumer Affairs, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr Hardley Blue-Jack, assured the agency’s customers of its desire to make the power sector works through appropriate regulations which should be strictly adhered to by both service providers in the sector and the consumers.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Eko Electricity Plc, Mr Oladele Amoda, said that there was no visible investment in the power sector 30 years before selling the assets of the successor companies of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to private sector.
He also said 70 per cent of the assets were in dilapidated form when the assets were sold in 2013, adding that investors had actually spurred the growth of the sector hitherto in spite of the liquidity challenge.
He said his company was desirous of giving its best to the customers with a view to satisfying them and providing value addition services.
Amoda added that the company had in the last three years metered substantial number of its customers.
He said it had also placed order for five hundred transformers in order to ensure steady supply of electricity to customers during the Yuletide.