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Maiduguri power plant stride to achieve NNPC’s mandate

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP) project is a giant step towards achieving its gas and power mandate to add 50MW into the national grid generation.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPCL, made this known on Thursday during the commissioning of the 50-Megawatt Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant project by President Muhammadu Buhari in Borno.

The unfortunate attacks on facilities by insurgents which destroyed three towers of electricity power lines in Maiduguri, President Buhari in April 2021, directed the NNPC Ltd., to restore power supply to Maiduguri and its environs.

Kyari said on the directive of the president, a 32 MW gas fired power plant was designed and built in 16 months unprecedented and had been successfully test-run and confirmed ready by the president.

He said the commissioning of the emergency  power plant by the president  would open a new chapter of the NNPCL commercial energy for on grid and off grid capital markets.

According to him, the Maiduguri emergency power project will be scaled up to 50MW shortly, the first plant of this scale in the whole of the Northeast.

The GCEO said the interventions of the Ministry of Power had restored the traditional 330KV line in Maiduguri and provided another redundancy of 33KV line from Damaturu to Maiduguri.

“The combined effect of the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant and the replacement of the transmission lines makes Maiduguri the most sufficiently capital city in Nigeria.

“Obviously,  it is a new power hub in the region,  we may very soon see power exports to neighbouring countries from Maiduguri.

“As a commercial enterprise,  NNPC sees this project as an opportunity to monetise our abundance natural resource by finding access to energy to support economic growth, industrialisation and job creation,” he said.

He said Maiduguri has been the commercial nerve centre of the Northeast for more than a century.

He added that it represented a huge market due to its demographic advantage and geographical accessibility to sub regional markets including Republic of Niger,  Chad,  Central Afrique Republic, Sudan and Mali among others.

He said in spite of these huge opportunities, energy poverty had continued to restrain business communities in Maiduguri and its environs from expanding their market frontiers to achieve the full potentials.

The GCEO said the project provided better investment climate and opportunity to advance the Federal Government’s domestic gas utilisation mandate while supporting the power industry, government of Borno and stakeholders to achieve sustainable energy supply.

This, he said in order to ensure sustainable operations the power plant was equipped with a natural gas system for energy supply.

“Currently NNPCL and its partners  are  delivering 800MW to the national grid from Afam two, Afam six in Okpai phase one plants with combined installed capacity of over 1,000 MW.

“NNPCL appreciates the collaboration of the relevant  stakeholders  and the Borno state government in achieving this milestone,” he said.

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Buhari commissions Maiduguri emergency power project

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project, describing the feat as another testament towards achieving stable, uninterrupted power supply aimed at improving the economy and lives of Nigerians.

The gas plant was constructed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to supply 50 megawatts of electricity to Maiduguri and environs.

Speaking at the occasion, the President said his administration has worked hard to fulfil the promise of tackling the nation’s electricity challenges and has succeeded in laying the foundation for a strong, prosperous country through the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

He noted that a key execution priority of the ERGP is ensuring national energy sufficiency for Nigerians.

”The Maiduguri Emergency Power Project is part of an incremental 4,000MW of power generating assets that this administration embarked upon to improve national power supply and stimulate economic growth.

”The aggressive project strategy deployed to complete this project on schedule is a total reflection of Federal Government sensitivities in identifying and easing the plight of the Nigerians; particularly those recovering from the adverse impact of the insurgency in this North-East region.

”Over the past few years, insurgents had attacked power supply lines along Maiduguri-Damaturu and Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu roads leading to acute power supply shortages to the city of Maiduguri and its environs and crippling the economic activities in the region.

”For this purposeful response, I want to commend the NNPC Ltd for following my directive to ensure the immediate restoration of reliable power supply to Maiduguri within the shortest possible time,” he said.

President Buhari reassured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s resolve to implement programmes, particularly in the power sector, that deepen domestic gas utilization, expands national power generation capacity, revitalizes industries and creates multiple jobs for economic growth.

He directed the Ministry of Power and other relevant Agencies namely, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Transmission Company of Nigeria to continue to collaborate with NNPC Ltd to ensure that millions of Nigerians access affordable electricity in the short term.

He expressed confidence that the spirit of the New NNPC Ltd would continue to engender affordable energy for all Nigerians, not just for the immediate, but for the years ahead.

President Buhari, who is making his fifth visit to the State since the administration of Prof Babagana Zulum, thanked the Governor for keeping his campaign promises to the people of the State.

He declared that the governor, who is seeking a second term in office, deserves to be re-elected.

”Your Excellency, I cannot remember the number of projects I commissioned during your first tenure, these laudable projects are impressive. I thank you.

”We also acknowledge the excellent work that you have done, working closely with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, to bring back the IDPs and refugees from Cameroon and other neighboring countries. I think the Governor deserves another term,” he said.

President Buhari also inaugurated the dual Ahmadu Bello Way; Shehu Sanda Kura Road; Lafiya Road and Mogoram Road; Ultra-Modern Market, Bama Road; newly constructed Staff Quarters for University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu Cancer Centre, and the newly constructed Bolari Market Road.