The Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) says the newly energised Transmission Sub Station will deliver 240Mega Watts (MW) of electricity to power Nasarawa and environs.
Mr Emmanuel Ojor, Head, Communication & Public Relations, NDPHC, said this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
Ojor said the transmission station had the capacity to deliver and meet 240MW of load demand and would enhance and guarantee an uninterrupted power supply to Nasarawa and its immediate surrounding states.
He said the Lafia 2X150 Mega Volt Ampree (MVA) and 2X60 /132/33/330 Kilo Volt (KVA) Transmission Substation was earlier completed by NDPHC Ltd.
He said that the project would also help to provide back feed to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) whenever necessary since FCT is being served from Shiroro and Geregu Power Stations.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to formally inaugurate the substation on Feb. 24.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule expressed thanks to the Executive Director, Networks of the NDPHC, Mr IfeOluwa Oyedele and his team, for the project.
Sule represented by his Deputy, Dr Emmanuel Akabe said, “we cannot thank you enough as the state and its environs know the impact of this and cannot wait until the substation is commissioned.
“It is already praise galore for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, across the state.
“We know that electricity is life. And you need energy in any society for so many things particularly for economic growth and good living so we are not taking this project for granted.
“Gone are the days when Lafia will be in darkness for more than one week at a stretch and when there is, it won’t be brighter than a candlelight.
“We must thank President Buhari, the management and staff of NDPHC, and all those that were involved in the execution of this project for approving this for us and making sure that this was professionally executed, “he said.
The executive director commended the governor and his predecessor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura for their doggedness in the pursuit for the development of their state.
He said, although the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), Lafia substation was funded by the Federal Government, it was important to emphasise the contributions of the Governor and his predecessor.
“On the day that we came to take over this site, a Certificate of Occupancy had been issued. In three years, no worker- whether expatriate or local has been harassed- not to talk of being kidnapped or any such thing.
“And, since the incumbent Governor took over, he has assumed the role of Project Manager. He has visited this site more than 33 times. He is purely showing good example.
“To see a governor who is interested in the progress and development of his people, is commendable,” he said.
According to Oyedele, the community also deserves praises. Even as we came in today, school children lined the road welcoming us.
“This is an encouragement. I thank the Nasarawa Government, the Akurba community and the people of Nasarawa for the level of cooperation that we received during the construction of this substation
“And, we hope to receive this kind of cooperation from every other state.
“And is one of the cardinal responsibilities of the President Buhari administration to make sure that Nigeria works.
“We want to reduce unemployment to the barest minimum and make sure that we increase the productivity of our people,” he said.
He said that the Lafia substation was equipped with State-of-the-Art Digital Control and Protection facilities with fully functional Human-Machine-Interface (HMI)
“That enhances real-time operational flexibility, monitoring & control of all the Substation electrical variables,” he said.