Power Supply
FRSC seeks partnership with EEDC to enhance operations in Enugu
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will partner the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to enhance its operational capabilities within Enugu State. The FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu State, Mr Joseph Udoabba, said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of EEDC at its corporate headquarters in Enugu on Thursday. Udoabba said that the visit was essentially to “further fortify and cement the already existing cordial relationship’’ between the Command and EEDC. “I hope we will continue on that cordial note,’’ he said. He also commended the efforts of EEDC in ensuring effective electricity distribution in the state as well as entire South-East states. “FRSC is soliciting for support in the area of power supply to its Command headquarters, unit and licensing off...
Bauchi residents lament erratic power supply
Some residents of Bauchi metropolis have expressed concerned over the erratic power supply in the area. Some of the residents who spoke with newsmen in seperate interviews, said the situation had made life unbearable for them. Newsmen report that Gwallameji area of Bauchi and other parts of the metropolis are leaving in darkness in the past months following vandalisation of electrical facilities in the affected communitie. They urged the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDCO) to address the problem and adopt proactive to protect its facilities against acts of vandalisim. Mr Paul Ugochukwu, a resident of Rafin Zurfi area of the metropolis, said they had been experiencing erratic power supply for the past three months sequel to the alleged destruction of the power transformer in the ar...
Hamza Al-Mustapha: Nigeria has no excuse for inadequate power supply
Hamza Al-Mustapha, ex-chief security officer to Sani Abacha, former head of state, says Nigeria doesn’t have any excuse for inadequate power supply. Al-Mustapha said this during an interview with newsmen on Sunday, noting that Nigeria has abundant resources that should reflect in its power supply. He said electricity supply is still very expensive in the country, adding that the country has what it takes to have a stable and cheap power supply. “Up till this moment, electricity supply in Nigeria is still very very expensive compared to other countries in spite of the fact that we have all it takes to have one of the most stable and cheap power supply in the world,” Al Mustapha said. “We have the resources in abundance, we have coal and gas, we have solar energy in abundance because we are ...
Kaduna paralysed as NLC begins warning strike
Activities in Kaduna State have been paralysed as the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over irregular sacking of civil servants began on Monday. Checks revealed that schools, banks and other business premises had been closed. The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Finance Institutions Employees had directed its members to withdraw banking and insurance services in Kaduna state from Monday 17. The Zonal State Secretary of the union, Mr Adamu Danladi explained that the directive followed the NLC’s warning strike in response to what he described as Gov. El-Rufai’s “anti-workers policies”. He said that the withdrawal of services would continue until otherwise directed by the congress. Also, while some schools were closed, others were open but only a few...
Kaduna in total blackout as workers begin strike
Kaduna State on Sunday was thrown into total blackout ahead of the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress to commence from midnight of Sunday in the state. The total blackout followed a warning by the National Union of Electricity Employees, an affiliate of the NLC, directing its workers to join the strike action in Kaduna beginning on Midnight Sunday. But the state government said it won’t bow to the intimidation of the NLC over its planned ‘rightsizing’ of the state workforce. While speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Saturday, the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Malam Jafaru Sani, said it uncovered a plot by the NLC to recruit hoodlums from other states of the federation to cause mayhem under the pretext of embarking on strike. Sani, therefore,...
Sustaining economic empowerment through financial inclusion, energy access
Financial inclusion and provision of sustainable energy is at a turning point in Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria. With a population of over 200 million, about 50 per cent of the total population live in rural areas, and only 39 per cent of those living in rural communities have access to electricity. This is in addition to over 40 per cent of the entire population who are financially excluded or underserved. However, the proliferation of digital financial services in Nigeria – powered largely by growth in fin-tech companies – has catalysed an unparalleled increase in the current number of people with access to formal financial services, while further opening up opportunities to address power supply challenges across rural communities; a major feat instrumental towards achieving the broad...
NNPC to partner Borno government to establish gas power plant
The Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Alhaji Mele Kyari has said that the corporation will partner with Borno State Government to establish a Gas Power Plant following the vandalization of the national grid by insurgents which put the state almost three months into total blackout. Kyari who led a powerful delegation on a courtesy call on Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Friday said, the Federal Government will not fold its arms and neglect the state which is been ravaged by insurgents, especially cut off from the national grid, as power is a source of income to the teaming people of the state. “We are here with my colleagues, the Head of Gas and Power Business, Engineer Yusuf Usman, Representatives of Greensville Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is a...
Nigerian government mulls TCN’s unbundling, partial concession to boost power supply
The federal government is considering the unbundling and partial concession of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to boost its efficiency in the government’s bid to improve power supply. Director, Energy, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Yunana Malo, said during the March edition of “the Electricity Hub” conversation series on power that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) had directed that a proper strategy should be mapped out for the unbundling of TCN. He stated that the government believed that all the players in the energy value chain should be able to align with the needs of the power sector seamlessly, adding that the right environment is being created for the transmission component to match generation and distribution. Malo said data was key to making decision...
Official: TCN completes new transmission tower in Lagos
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says it has completed the construction of a new transmission tower in Ajah, Lagos state. The TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Mbah said that TCN has also strung the old and a new 330 kilovolts Egbin – Ajah transmission lines, adding that both lines have been energised. She said that the new line increased the transmission lines capacity on that line route by 600 Megawatts (MW) bringing it to a total of 1,200MW. “The old line was re-energised on March 13 while the new line was energised on March 15. “Prior to resuscitation of the second Egbin-Ajah Transmission Line, the Aja 330/132/33kV Substation operated through a single circuit 330kV transmission line. “Within the period, t...
CBN: Naira to fall further in January
Barely five days to the end of the year 2020, the Central Bank of Nigeria has disclosed that a survey carried out by its Statistics Department revealed that the naira is expected to depreciate further in January 2021. The report, titled, ‘December 2020 Business Expectations Survey Report’ added that there might also be a steady rise in interest rate from December till the next six months. The naira witnessed a sharp fall in recent weeks, reaching its lowest on November 30, 2020, when it exchanged for N500/$1. Since then, the dollar has been hovering between N460 and N470. As of Friday, however, one dollar exchanged for 465 in the parallel market. Also, the Nigerian economy had on November 21 slid into its second recession in five years when the economy shrank again in the third quarter. Th...
Lagos conducts assessment to revitalise 329 primary healthcare
As part of efforts geared towards the revitalisation of Primary Healthcare, the Lagos State Government has carried out a comprehensive assessment of no fewer than 329 Primary healthcare centres in the State. Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this today at the Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate Governor Sanwo-Olu’s first year in office, noted that the assessment focused on the level of functionality and geographical positioning system of the PHCs to identify gaps for service improvement efforts. Abayomi explained that the comprehensive assessment was carried out in collaboration with two non-governmental organisations, namely: Health Assist and PharmAccess Foundation, to improve the quality of service delivery at Primary Healthcare Centres across the State. T...
Kaduna strike: Northern governors call for calm
The Northern Governors Forum has called for calm and dialogue between Kaduna State Government and organised labour, to resolve the ongoing warning strike by workers in the state. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, made the call in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Macham, on Tuesday in Jos. He said the forum was concerned of the impact of the strike on the state and its residents following the lockdown of economic activities in the state. The chairman noted that dialogue and negotiations were effective tools of addressing dispute in labour relations. He called for restraint and de-escalation of the situation to enable amicable resolutions. He pointed out that peaceful resolution was only possible when both parties operate wi...