An international film has proposed to build a 50-MW new gas-power plant in Auno, a suburb of Maiduguri to improve electricity supply in the state.

Shettima Bukar, the general manager, Borno State Rural Electrification Board, made this known in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Maiduguri.

The general manager said that the move was aimed at restoring electric services to communities in line with the state government’s ongoing recovery efforts.

Mr Bukar, who could not immediately give the estimate of the proposed power plant that could produce up to 50-MW when completed, said the proposed plant was still at the drawing stage.

“This is a design of a proposal given to us by a foreign company to generate 50-MW of electricity.

“We have already located a site along Maiduguri-Auno. We have shown them (company) the place and they have selected the site.

“We will let you know the cost when all administrative formalities are finalised,” the general manager said.

He, however, said that the state government had in the last four years electrified local government headquarters and some villages across the senatorial districts.

“In the Southern part of Borno State, in the last four years, we have electrified some local government headquarters and villages.

“For instance, in Bayo Local Government, we provide electricity to Balbaya town. That is from Fikahel to Balbaya about 22km inter-town connections, and along the route we have some communities like Tsangayari, Chongom, Limanti and Kuba, we all provided electricity courtesy of Borno State government,” he said.

The general manager said that the rural electrification in Southern Borno had extended from Tashan Itashe to Tashan Tsamiya all in Bayo local government.

“In some parts of Northern Borno, we have electrified Mafa, the Headquarters of Mafa local government.

“And recently His Excellency graciously approved a lot of funds to electrify Dikwa town. And the project is currently ongoing, our engineers and technicians are on the site working,” Bukar said.

He also said that the board had sent an estimate proposal for the electrification of communities from Dikwa to Gamboru Ngala about two weeks ago.

“Maiduguri-Konduga, Konduga-Bama Inter-Town Connections (ITC), that is ITC, is already completed. As we speak our staff are currently working in Konduga township and Bama to restore electricity.

“As for Bama-Gwoza, we have started erecting poles because we are expanding to about 82km, and we are trying to meet up with our target before the rainy season.

“We have divided the work into phases and the 1st phase is to plant the poles, if the poles are well erected, the overhead materials will come later.

“So the poles’ erection has commenced from Bama-Gwoza up to Limankara,” he explained.

Mr Bukar also announced that the board had also forwarded a proposal for the electrification of communities of Yara and Gora towns, among others in Southern Borno.

“From Maiduguri to Gajiram, the headquarters of Nganzai local government, we are now mobilising to start work. Fund had been released.

“We have submitted our proposal for the electrification of communities from Gajiram to Monguno to electrify Monguno and the proposal is receiving attention now,” the general manager said.

He, however, said that there was no light at the moment in Malam Fatori because of insurgency related issues; saying “the area is not accessible for now.

“Guzamala, Kukawa and Mobbar too don’t have light presently.”

Mr Bukar said that the board had succeeded in restoring light from Magumeri to Gubio in 2021 but they were unable to restore light in Kala-Balge, in Ngala Balge Local Government area.

“Marte no light but we have put its estimates in our 2025 budget proposal but as you know we cannot embrace all the projects at a time. They are capital intensive and equally we cannot start a project that we cannot complete.

“We are doing them (projects) in phases. If we finish with two, three local governments, then we go to another local government.

“Marte is there in our proposal, Guzamala is there in our proposal, Kukawa, Baga and Damasak towns are all there in our proposal.

“In Southern part there is no local government that doesn’t have light with the exception of Damboa because of insurgency.

“But recently we have rehabilitated Uba to Askira and we have restored light to Askira that was between November and December 2024,” the general manager said.

According to him, light has also been restored from Askira to Chibok, adding that only Damboa remains in dark, though its rehabilitation work was also captured in the 2025 budget.

“North Central is all electrified. In Kaga local government area, the transmission line was vandalised and His Excellency has asked us to bring an estimate and the matter is receiving attention,” the general manager said.

Mr Bukar also announced that Gov. Babagan Zulum has released more than N300 million recently for a company to refurbish all the transformers that needed to be refurbished and other substations that required certain maintenance.

The 52-MW Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP) which was built by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in form of intervention to provide reliable and sustainable electricity to Maiduguri is generating 32-MW with a daily average capacity of 14.20MW as at December 2024.

MEPP is operating at unsuitable tariff of 6.2USc/kWh paid by NBET vs. Cost tariff of 15.88USc/kWh for an average of 41MW CCPP as at Sep. 2024.

The initiative behind the construction of MEPP by Mr Buhari’s administration in 2021 was aimed at bringing a lasting solution to extended power outages caused by vandalism and insurgency attacks on power supply infrastructure.

Based on that Mr Buhari directed the management of NNPC Ltd then to restore power supply to Maiduguri and its environs but Borno is still experiencing serious power outage hence the need for required additional power generating plants to meet its population needs.

(NAN)