About 39 years after it was creted as autonomous state, Benue state has just been connected to the National Grid to start enjoying electricity.
According to Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo who commissioned the the National Integrated Power Projects 220/132//33KV Sub Station in Makurdi today on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, it is a historic moment for the state.
The sub station was constructed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company at Apir, Makurdi, Benue State.
Namadi Sambo said that the NIPP Makurdi 330/132/33kV Sub Station is one of a series of power projects completed by the NDPHC under the NIPP, adding that the NDPHC has effectively pursued its mandate of implementing robust power projects across the country under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).
Vice President Sambo explained that the Makurdi Substation is scoped with appropriate busbars, bays, switchgear and control equipment at 330kV, 132kV as well as 33kV levels complete with an initial 150MVA 330/132kV Transformer and a 60MVA 132/33kV Transformer.
“These two will ensure effective supply at both 132kV as well as 33kV levels to all of Benue and parts of Taraba as well as Kogi states while being equipped with a 75MVAR shunt reactor for effective voltage control. He said that the NIPP Makurdi 330/132/33kV location will also serve as a future hub to connect the 3,050mw Mambilla Hydro power plant on completion and its evacuation network to the national grid.”
The Vice President said that under the First Phase of its project mandate, the company has completed several power projects, namely, the Geregu II, 434mw capacity in Kogi state, Omotosho II, 500 MW capacity in Ondo state, 750MW capacity Olorunsogo II power plant in Ogun state and Phase One 504MW Alaoji thermal power station in Abia state while Benin Generation Company and Ogorode both of 450MW capacity each in Edo and Delta states respectively, are awaiting official commissioning’. Vice President Sambo stated that, ‘this brings to a total completion of 265 out of 296 distribution injection substations nationwide and several other power projects across the country. According to him, the nation’s power generation level currently stands at 5,500MW of which NIPP contributes about 2,600mw, a record that stands out in the annals of the power sector history in Nigeria’. Vice President Sambo is the Chairman, NDPHC.
Earlier, the Minister of State Power, Mohammed Wakil acknowledged the Level of political will exhibited by the present administration in driving the Power Sector privatization vision to a successful conclusion. James Olotu
stated that he NIPP was conceived in 2004 as a fast track government
funded initiative to add significant generation, transmission and distribution capacity to Nigeria’s electricity supply system.
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