Power Infrastructure: Boosting Lagos transmission to drive economic growth
To ease power grid limits and boost business growth, the Federal Government recently unveiled new power transmission projects for main Lagos substations.
These updates add major power capacity to the national grid.
The projects, inaugurated on Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, by the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, span across strategic locations including Apapa, Ijora, Lekki and Alausa.
The interventions designed not merely to increase the amount of electricity that can be transmitted, but to strengthen power delivery to industrial, commercial and residential areas that are central to Lagos’ economic activities.
The projects include a 2×60 Mega Volt Ampree (MVA) Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Apapa, two 100MVA transformers at Ijora, a 100MVA transformer at Alausa and transformer installations at the Lekki Transmission Substation.
The projects represent 840MVA of new transformer capacity brought into service across the Lagos transmission network.
The projects are expected to provide additional bulk power supply to the Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies for onward delivery to industries, businesses and households within their franchise areas.
Among the most significant interventions is the upgrade of the Lekki 330/132/33 Kilo Volt (kV) Transmission Substation, located within one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing economic corridors.
The Lekki intervention comprises one 300MVA, 330/132/33kV power transformer and two 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformers.
Speaking at the inauguration, the minister said that the interventions represented more than the installation of new equipment.
“They represent targeted investments in capacity for businesses to grow, for industries to produce, and for communities to prosper.’’
At Lekki, the minister noted that the upgrade had effectively doubled the capacity of the Lekki 330/132/33kV transmission substation, a critical intervention for one of Nigeria’s fastest-developing economic corridors.
“Transformer capacity at the 330/132kV level has increased from 300MVA to 600MVA, equivalent to approximately 480 Megawatts (MW), while capacity at the 132/33kV level has risen from 120MVA to 240MVA, equivalent to approximately 192MW.
“Today, we are inaugurating capacity for businesses to grow; industries to produce; communities to prosper and for one of the fastest-growing economic corridors in our country to continue to expand without electricity infrastructure becoming a brake on its progress.”
The minister explained that the true measure of electricity infrastructure lied in what it enabled an economy to do.
According to him, Lekki has emerged as one of the most consequential growth corridors in Lagos and in Nigeria, driven by sustained residential, commercial and industrial expansion.
He said that the project would also deliver nine new 33kV feeders to improve bulk power delivery into the Eko Electricity Distribution Company network.
Tegbe said that the additional capacity would improve the reliability and availability of bulk electricity supplied to EKEDC for onward delivery to industries, businesses and households across Lekki and its environs.
At the Alausa Transmission Substation, the inauguration of a new 100MVA, 132/33kV transformer is expected to strengthen electricity supply to Ikeja and surrounding areas.
The intervention increased the substation’s total transformation capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA, equivalent to approximately 164MW.
More importantly, the project increased the quantum of bulk power available to the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company by 80 Mega Watts (MW) for onward delivery to consumers within its franchise area.
Describing the intervention as a deliberate strengthening of strategic locations, Tegbe linked the project to the economic importance of Ikeja.
“Ikeja is where the ambition of Nigeria meets the industrious nature of Nigerians.”
The minister noted that transmission infrastructure must support locations where industries, businesses, government institutions, markets and other economic activities generate employment and livelihoods.
“The Alausa project is consequently expected to contribute to improved electricity supply for commercial activities and communities within the Ikeja axis,’’ he said.
Projects were also inaugurated at the 2x60MVA GIS Substation at the Apapa Transmission Substation and an upgrade at the Ijora substation from 90MVA to 230MVA, equivalent to approximately 184MW.
According to the minister, the interventions will significantly improve power supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities.
The project was delivered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance programme.
The Managing Director of TCN, Mr Sule Abdulaziz, said that the upgrades would significantly improve transmission in Lagos and reduce technical losses.
Abdulaziz said that the Apapa GIS project would increase bulk power to EKEDC, while the Alausa upgrade would strengthen the volume of bulk power.
”TCN can wheel to distribution load centres, thereby improving grid stability.’’
The TCN’S boss commended President Bola Tinubu, minister of power, Lagos State Government, JICA, the World Bank, contractors and TCN engineers for their roles in delivering the projects.
“With 840MVA now in service, TCN more bulk power will be available for EKEDC and IKEDC to off take for industries, businesses and households, ‘’ he said.
Experts are of the opinion that the inauguration of the Apapa, Ijora, Lekki and Alausa projects represent a step in the right direction.
They agree that the success of these investments will increase production for businesses, reduce dependence on expensive alternative power supply, attract new investments, create jobs, and provide communities with more reliable electricity.
All in all, observers say the Lagos interventions provide a practical test of that ambition: transforming transmission capacity into economic opportunity.
