The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company and Eko Electricity Distribution Company account for over 40 per cent of power consumption in Nigeria, Vice-President Namadi Sambo has said.
This, he said was understandable from the fact that Lagos, which used to be the country’s political capital before Abuja, remained Nigeria’s commercial and industrial hub with a large concentration of industries in the state and the adjoining Ogun State.
Sambo spoke at the unveiling of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited Oke-Aro 330/132kV transmission substation under the National Integrated Power Projects in Lagos on Friday.
Oke-Aro is situated in a border line between Lagos and Ogun states, and the 330/132/33kV substation is said to have distribution leg for the benefit of the two states.
The vice-president, who was represented by the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said the country was witnessing another great feat of the current administration in power infrastructure capacity expansion to boost economic and industrial development of the country.
He said, “Prior to the advent of Oke-Aro substation, there were only three 330/132/33kV substations in Lagos. One of these three is Ikeja West 330/132/33kV substation which was the major marshalling point for all power plants that flow their generation into Lagos, and this development had thrown the state into a state of great congestion with limited space for safe expansion of capacity for increased flows into Lagos and environs.
“All the 330kV power lines from the Benin and Oshogbo 330kV hubs of the national grid, which were also serving as evacuation lines for NIPP new power plants at Omotosho as well as Olorunsogo, terminated there. Even 330kV evacuation lines for older major power plants such as Egbin in Lagos also terminated at Ikeja West.”
According to him, the need for appropriate relief substations that could provide substantial decongestion for Ikeja West in particular as well as the other two older 330kV substations in Lagos located at Akangba and Aja respectively cannot be overemphasised.
“Oke-Aro substation was therefore conceived with this need in mind and eventually sited in this community which lies in the border between Lagos and Ogun States to interface between Egbin power plant and the Ikeja West substation,” he explained.
Sambo said Oke-Aro 330/132/33kV substation is one of NIPP’s several interventions within Lagos and Ogun states.
In order to achieve the objective of Oke-Aro serving as a relief to Ikeja West, he said two of the three 330kV evacuation lines from Egbin Power plant to Ikeja West were turned in and out of Oke-Aro to effect connection of the substation to the grid.
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