The federal government has added 208 megawatts (MW) to bulk electricity transmission capacity in Lagos by inaugurating upgraded facilities at Apapa and Ijora substations. 

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, inaugurated a 2×60 MVA, 132/33 kV gas-insulated substation (GIS) at Apapa and two 100 MVA, 132/33 kV power transformers at Ijora on Monday.

Mr Tegbe said the projects would strengthen electricity supply to some of Lagos’ most economically important corridors, supporting port operations, manufacturing, logistics, commercial activities and millions of consumers.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Apapa substation, the minister said the project was more than an engineering achievement, adding that it was an investment in one of the nation’s most economically consequential corridors.

“Apapa is not an ordinary electricity load centre. It is one of the commanding heights of the Nigerian economy,” he said.

Mr Tegbe said the Apapa corridor hosts port operations, maritime services, logistics companies, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial enterprises and supporting industries whose activities extend beyond Lagos.

He said the upgraded Apapa facility had increased bulk power availability in the axis by about 96 MW.

According to him, the project comprises a modern GIS equipped with two 60 MVA, 132/33 kV power transformers, new 132 kV and 33 kV GIS switchgear and a control building.

He said it also included modern protection and control systems, substation automation systems, and SCADA infrastructure.

The minister said the original Apapa Road GIS substation, commissioned in 1985, had provided reliable electricity for decades before ageing infrastructure necessitated its decommissioning and temporary replacement with an outdoor 60 MVA transformer.

He said the federal government secured support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme to rehabilitate and reinforce the transmission substation.

Mr Tegbe said the project aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s economic ambition of transforming Nigeria into a one trillion-dollar economy, stressing that reliable electricity remained critical to achieving the target.

At Ijora, the minister said installing two new 100MVA transformers increased the substation’s total installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, adding 112MW of bulk transmission capacity.

He said the upgrade would improve electricity supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities, while supporting commercial activities and consumers within the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) franchise area.

Mr Tegbe said the previous Ijora substation had three 30 MVA transformers, providing a total installed capacity of 90 MVA, equivalent to about 72 MW.

He said the rising population, commercial activity and industrial expansion had outgrown the capacity, resulting in suppressed load and constrained electricity supply.

“The consequence was what we have come to know all too well in our electricity sector: suppressed load, constrained supply and businesses having to operate below their potential,” he said.

Mr Tegbe said the federal government was committed to investing in the transmission network, removing bottlenecks, strengthening critical substations and creating the capacity required to evacuate and deliver electricity generated across the country.

“The projects being inaugurated today are a practical demonstration of that commitment and a testament that this administration’s power sector investments are deliberate, technically sound and closely aligned with economic demands,” he said.

The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, said the projects demonstrated the administration’s commitment to strengthening the national transmission network, particularly in one of Lagos’ busiest industrial corridors.

Mr Abdulaziz said the installation and energisation of the transformers at Apapa, alongside the deployment of modern GIS technology, had tripled the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.

He said the expansion would increase bulk power available for onward delivery to EKEDC, thereby improving electricity supply to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island.

At Ijora, Mr Abdulaziz described the installation of the two 100 MVA transformers as another demonstration of the federal government’s investment in critical transmission infrastructure.

He said the projects would help TCN meet growing electricity demand by strengthening its capacity to wheel bulk electricity from generation stations to distribution load centres.

“We remain resolute in delivering on that mandate through consistent and strategic investments in our network,” he said.

Ishigame Keiji, the chief representative of JICA, said the inauguration marked the realisation of a shared vision between Japan and Nigeria to strengthen the country’s electricity transmission network.

Mr Keiji said the project demonstrated the strength of the bilateral partnership and represented a significant contribution to Nigeria’s efforts to build a more resilient and efficient power sector. 

(NAN)