FEC approves $23m for power projects in Taraba, Yobe

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved the sum of N3.4 billion for the restoration of power supply in Borno.

Abubakar Aliyu, minister of power disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with journalists after the council’s meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The minister said the council approved a memorandum for the provision of alternative power supply line to Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

He noted that the region had been disconnected from the national grid for 24 months due to insurgency.

“As you are aware, Maiduguri got disconnected from the national grid due to the activities of insurgents. They have been disconnected for over 24 months,” he said.

“About nine months ago or thereabout, we were able to supply Maiduguri through an old line which we resuscitated through the effort of the Borno state government’s rural electrification agency and the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“They resuscitated a single line of 33 KV from Damaturu, Yobe state and through that, we took a very small quantity of electricity which could only give electricity on the 11 KV line.

“So, we are now trying to supply through another new line, a double circuit 33 KV which can take up to around 40 Megawatts from the Damaturu 330 substation. This is at a cost of N3,164,293,880 plus N250,000 million for security and other logistics, a total of N3.4 billion and is awarded to SodoGuru Nigeria Limited with a completion period of three months.”

Aliyu further disclosed that $23.9 million was approved for the construction of power substations in Gaidam, Yobe state, and Zing in Taraba.

He also said the ministry got the approval for the construction of five multimillion dollars one-line power substations in Birnin Kudu, Babura, and Kazaure in Jigawa state; Nguru, Yobe; Oro, in Kwara, and a 22-kilometre transmission line passing through Birnin Kudu-Missau-Ningi-Azare in Jigawa and Bauchi.

Speaking also to journalists, Mu’azu Sambo, minister of transportation, said the ministry got approval for the four memos it presented.

The memos included N1.78 billion for the upgrade of a data centre for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

“The first to be approved is in respect of the award of contract for the upgrade of the data centre of the Nigerian Ports Authority, its servers, storage, and business continuity at the cost of N1,787, 203, 792.65 inclusive of 7.5 percent value-added tax with a completion period of six months, ” the minister said.

“The second memo that was approved was for a concession of the eastern zone offshore waste reception facility, in line with international conventions and environmental laws signed by Nigeria, which require that offshore wastes generated by ships be disposed of in an organised manner in order to protect biodiversity and human beings.”

Sambo said when completed, the project would generate $25 million within 20 years.

The minister said he obtained a similar approval for the Western and Central zones of the maritime domain of Nigeria, for 10 years.

According to Sambo, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) got approval for the deployment of the modular floating dock acquired by the agency, to be managed under a public-private partnership.

“It is going to be managed by a private company that will put in an initial capital investment of $19.5 million for a concession period of 15 years,” he added.

The minister said when fully established and running, the facility will save Nigeria millions of foreign exchange, adding that the present situation warrants all cabotage vessels operating in Nigeria to go to Benin Republic and Ghana in order to access their docking services.