FG, Japan to Sign $200m Power Transmission Agreement Next Month

Emmanuel Addeh

The federal government through the ministry of power will in March sign a $200 million deal with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the implementation of transmission expansion programme.

The programme is aimed at expanding the power transmission network to support the rapidly expanding industries in Lagos and Ogun States.

Speaking when he visited the Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, in his office in Abuja, Senior Representative, JICA, Nigeria office, Sasaki Taigo, and team lead, said their mission was to confirm the content of the loan agreement.

In addition, he noted that the team was in the minister’s office to view the project memorandum of the Lagos and Ogun power transmission system improvement work, with the relevant ministries and implementation agencies.

He further said meetings with relevant authorities will commence with the aim of having the loan agreement signed in March, 2022.

The transmission rehabilitation and expansion programme to be carried out by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) through the loan will be obtained from the JICA.

It is to provide about 203 kilometres high voltage transmission lines and six high voltage substations, which cover five local governments in Ogun State and one council in Lagos state with approximately 200 communities affected.

The counterpart funding for compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAP), consultancy services for line route studies, environmental and social impact assessment and environmental social management plan for the proposed JICA transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun states is reflected in the 2021/ 2022 appropriation of the ministry.

In his comments, Aliyu expressed the delight of the federal government of the cooperation of the ministry and assured JICA of President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to ensure best practices are applied, particularly to infrastructural development in the electricity supply industry in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Aliyu has stated that the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) remains key to the entire governance structure of Nigeria.

Speaking when he received the Director General of the BPSR, Mr. Arabi Dasuki and his team who paid him a courtesy call he chronicled the reforms in the Nigeria electricity supply industry, and assured the BPSR of cooperation.