FEC okays N65.3b for power projects in 2022
Nigeria stands being thrown into darkness this festive season, as shortage of gas might force most generation companies to shut down.
A document obtained confidentially yesterday from a key government agency indicated that the Nigerian Gas Company was out of gas due to breaches on the Trans-Forcados Pipeline (TFP).
The system is the second largest network in the Niger Delta, and transports oil, water and associated gas from fields in Western Delta to the Forcados oil terminal.
Breached on December 17, 2021, The Guardian gathered that the development has impacted SEPLAT’s production and might affect other producers if not immediately repaired.
Already, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited has five of its operational power plants – Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Sapele, Ihovbor & Geregu –affected by the gas curtailment.
It was also gathered that the prevailing challenges have led NGC to issue a notice to manage the situation to avoid complete collapse of the grid.
NGC, according to the document, has reportedly noted that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited’s
(NPDC) Ughelli East plant is currently down while Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL) has also lost a compressor to technical issues.
IN a related development, the extraordinary Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over yesterday, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the State House, Abuja, approved N65,387, 644,709 to execute power projects in Nigeria.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who addressed newsmen at the end of the session, said the move was for the country to achieve clean energy next year.
In his presentation, Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, attributed the nation’s epileptic power supply to scant attention by previous administrations to the development of the sector.
Saying he presented 16 memos and got approvals for all, the minister argued that the current administration had done more than others, urging consolidation for improved power supply to Nigerians.
Specifically, he said FEC approved $65,606,420, €15,152,651 and N31,360,272,397 for the construction of power projects in Ondo State.
He said government was doing a lot to remedy the situation with more investments in the sector to reverse the system collapse being witnessed in the country.
While noting that the government had placed order for power equipment, the minister assured Nigerians of witnessing the impact soon.
Aliyu acknowledged a subsisting 5,000mw, even as he said the transmission grid was weak.
