The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed that the nation’s power generation could be getting a significant boost, starting from the end of 2017, when power projects currently in the works begin to come on stream. About 1,459 MW should be added to the national grid from 20 plants located in various parts of the country if all goes according to plan.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said at the weekend that a number of power projects were expected to be close to completion by the end of next year. The plants would generate power from multiple sources (hydro, solar, wind and gas). Projects referred to by the minister as being on track to being completed include the 215 MW Kaduna power, 240 MW Emergency Power Project for Afam, 40 MW Kashimbila Power, 40 MW Gurara 1 Power, 29 MW Dadin Kowa Power, 10 MW Katsina Power, as well as 1,125 MW from 14 solar projects. Mr. Fashola also spoke of plans to provide 37 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals with independent gas and solar power plants.
Nigeria’s power supply has recorded a series of sharp drops in 2016, with multiple cases of grid collapse recorded during the year. These declines in power output have been blamed on ageing and inadequate infrastructure and damage done to gas pipelines by militants in the Niger delta. Fashola, however, pointed out in his statement over the weekend that despite the loss of about 3,000 MW to pipeline vandalism, a peak of 4,010 MW had been recorded as at November 5.
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