By Bisola Adeyemo
President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned an electricity distribution centre, 330/132/33KV sub-station at Akurba community of Lafia, Nasarawa State capital.
The power sub-station which was commissioned on Thursday was part of the projects marked out for commission by the President during his two-day official visit to State.
The new power transmission will boost electricity supply to the state and will impact at least one million households and businesses.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu said the substation was one of the best in the country, saying Nasarawa has become the center point of electricity transmission to neighboring states.
“This is a 330 kilovolts substation which the people of the state are already enjoying. It started since 2016 and thank God it is already completed now.
“What it means for the people here is that they have already started enjoying quality electricity in Nasarawa here.
“Before now they receive their electricity from Jos which wasn’t sufficient. With this substation, Nasarawa has become a centre point for electricity transmission around its environs”, he added.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo explained that the project would have tremendous impact on the economic activities of the state as it would improve power supply to the state greatly.
According to him, the facility has six feeders that would serve at least one million households and businesses in the state.
“We expect the project to improve the well-being of every resident of Lafia and entire Nasarawa State and improve economic activities, creation of jobs.
“Also because of the big nature of the project, we expect it to become the transmission hub in the country. TCN is already working on the connection. A 330KV connection from here to Abuja, to back feed Abuja”, he stated.
Ugbo added: “NDPHC decided to build this Lafia Substation essentially to step down electricity from the high voltage transmission line [overhead Lalio)to a lower voltage level where the distribution company (Abuja Disco) can now draw electricity and serve close to one million households and businesses in the state. It will thus help boost economic activities in the state, with positive knock-on effects on employment and socio-economic upliftment of the residents of the State”.
