•Buhari Approves fresh tenure for NDPH boss
By Emmanuel Addeh
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said Thursday that the Nigerian power industry had achieved another improved all-time national peak of 5,420.30 megawatts, a landmark in its bid to improve the country’s power supply.
The company in a statement by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, noted that the entire power was effectively transmitted through the national grid at a frequency of 50.10Hz at 9:15pm on August 18th, 2020.
“This is the highest ever recorded in the nation’s power sector to-date, surpassing the previous peak of 5,377.80MW recorded on the 1st of August, 2020, by 42.50MW,” the company said.
However, despite the feat, load-shedding, a way of ensuring that available generation is equitably allocated to distribution companies nationwide, to create a balance and avert grid instability, has remained a norm in the power supply system.
Nigeria, with an estimated population of 180 million has continued to generate only a fraction of the electricity it needs, seen as a major hindrance to economic development.
To ameliorate the age-long problem, the federal government recently signed an agreement with the German Government, represented by Siemens AG, to holistically overhaul the three power value chains with the aim of delivering stable, reliable and quality power to the people and paying over N8 billion as its initial counterpart financing for the five-year project.
Although the company did not specifically mention how the new peak was attained, it noted it was upbeat about the new development, attributing it to the ‘’efforts” of the current administration.
“The gradual but steady improvement in electricity delivery in the nation’s power sector is attributable to the keen interest of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in piloting programmes and projects geared towards growing the power sector as well as the collective effort of all power sector players in the value chain.
“TCN is committed to working assiduously to further stabilise, rehabilitate and expand the grid and urges Nigerians to lend their support by safeguarding electricity installations nationwide” Mbah added.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has approved the renewal of the appointment of Mr Joseph Ugbo as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPH) as well as Babayo Shehu and Ifeoluwa Oyedele as Executive Directors respectively.
A statement by Mr Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, office of the Vice President, said that the renewal will take effect from August 25, 2020 for a period of four years.
“The appointment of three additional directors has also been approved for more effective and efficient coverage of the company’s areas of activity” the federal government stated.
