The Chief Executive Officer, Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company (FGNPC), Kenny Anuwe, has said that the first
set of power equipment procured under the Presidential Power Initiative (IPP), through the Nigeria-Siemens power deal would be inagurated next month.
Anuwe,who disclosed this at the recent Nigeria Energy Exhibition and Conference, said that the first inauguration ceremonies would begin at a location in Lagos, while the second set of equipment would be unveiled in Abuja.
“We will be seeing commissioning of these projects in the next two to three weeks, and every month after that until the end of the programme”,he said.
The equipment, which included transformers and mobile substations, were procured under the IPP in partnership with Siemens Energy, the implementing partner,he also said.
According to him, the equipment were purpose-designed to meet Nigeria’s power supply needs in a phased programme that would see to the generation and distribution of 25,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2025.
Anuwe added that the company was set to commence the unveiling of the first set of the power equipment that had already arrived in the country, adding that the aim is to sustain the tempo until power disruptions in the country become a thing of the past.
He expressed optimism that with the new equipment, the power supply would increase to a minimum of 7,000 megawatts, and promised that the company was committed to executing its plans until all the targets set toward ending power disruptions in the country were met.
He said:“The federal government is determined to make a difference in the lives and livelihood of Nigerians, and with the pace of work being put in the project so far, I think we would exceed 7,000mw.But this is our first objective, and we are not taking our eyes off that ball. We want to hit that target and exceed it, and that is a confirmation that improvement in electricity supply is absolutely doable.”
He said that the government adopted a transparent and sustainable model that would deliver on the objectives of the project across the electricity supply value chain, a procedure he believed would win the trust and support of Nigerians.
Anuwe,who acknowledged that the energy needs of a country of Nigeria’s size and capacity exceeded 7,000mw, explained that the set threshold was a minimum target that would continually be improved upon until the average Nigerian had access to electricity supply without recourse to the more expensive and environmentally hazardous alternatives.
He explained that FGNPC was established by the federal government as a special purpose vehicle for the implementation of the PPI, to make the task of ramping up electricity supply easier.
He explained that the establishment of FGNPC did not impact the role of the generating companies (Gencos) and distribution companies (Discos) in the electricity value chain since the arrangement took the form of a partnership than role absorption.
Anuwe added: “The Gencos and the Discos will continue to play their part in the value chain of delivering energy to consumers right across Nigeria.What will be different is that they will now have a partner in FGN Power Company that is enabled to actually implement a programme that supports their businesses in sustainable way, while strengthening their capabilities to deliver value to their customers.”
