The Federal Government has added 208 megawatts to Lagos’ bulk electricity transmission capacity following the completion and inauguration of upgraded facilities at the Apapa and Ijora substations.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe inaugurated a 2×60MVA, 132/33kV Gas Insulated Substation at Apapa and two 100MVA, 132/33kV power transformers at Ijora on Monday.
Tegbe said the projects would strengthen electricity supply to some of Lagos’ most economically important areas, with expected benefits for port operations, manufacturing, logistics, commercial activities and millions of electricity consumers.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Apapa substation, the minister described the project as an investment in one of Nigeria’s most economically significant corridors.
He said the Apapa axis hosts major port operations, maritime services, logistics companies, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial businesses and other industries whose activities contribute significantly to the wider Nigerian economy.
According to Tegbe, the upgraded Apapa facility has increased bulk power availability in the area by about 96MW.
The project includes a modern GIS equipped with two 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformers, new 132kV and 33kV GIS switchgear and a control building.
It also features modern protection and control systems, Substation Automation Systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, SCADA, infrastructure.
Tegbe explained that the original Apapa Road GIS Substation, which was commissioned in 1985, had served the area for decades before ageing infrastructure made its decommissioning necessary.
He said the FG subsequently secured support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, through its Official Development Assistance programme to rehabilitate and reinforce the transmission facility.
The minister linked the investment to the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s economic ambition of transforming the FG of Nigeria into a one-trillion-dollar economy, stressing that reliable electricity supply was essential to achieving sustained economic growth.
Also Read: Industry stakeholders to discuss Nigeria’s Energy transition
At the Ijora substation, Tegbe said the installation of two new 100MVA transformers had increased the facility’s total installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA.
The expansion, he said, represents an additional 112MW of bulk transmission capacity. The upgrade is expected to improve electricity supply to areas including Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities, while supporting businesses and consumers within the franchise area of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC.
Tegbe said the previous Ijora facility had three 30MVA transformers with a combined installed capacity of 90MVA, equivalent to about 72MW.
He noted that population growth, expanding commercial activities and industrial development had placed increasing pressure on the facility, resulting in suppressed load and constraints on electricity supply.
The minister said the FG was therefore investing in the transmission network to remove bottlenecks, strengthen critical substations and increase the capacity to evacuate and deliver electricity generated across the country.
He described the newly completed projects as evidence of the administration’s efforts to align power-sector investments with the electricity demands of major economic centres.
The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Mr. Sule Abdulaziz, said the projects demonstrated the government’s commitment to strengthening the national transmission network, particularly in Lagos’ major industrial corridors.
Abdulaziz said the installation and energization of the transformers at Apapa, alongside the deployment of modern GIS technology, had increased the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.
He said the expansion would increase the volume of bulk electricity available for onward delivery to EKEDC and improve supply to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island.
At Ijora, Abdulaziz said the installation of the two 100MVA transformers represented another major investment in critical transmission infrastructure.
He explained that the upgrades would strengthen TCN’s ability to meet rising electricity demand by improving its capacity to transmit bulk power from generating stations to distribution load centres.
The TCN managing director reaffirmed the company’s commitment to strategic investments aimed at expanding and modernizing the national transmission network.
Also speaking, the Chief Representative of JICA, Mr. Ishigame Keiji, described the inauguration as the realization of a shared vision between Japan and Nigeria to strengthen the country’s electricity transmission infrastructure.
Keiji said the project demonstrated the strength of the bilateral partnership between both countries and would contribute to efforts to develop a more resilient and efficient electricity system in Nigeria.
The upgrades are expected to strengthen bulk electricity supply in some of Lagos’ busiest economic corridors, with potential benefits for industries, businesses and households that depend on a more reliable transmission network.
NAN
