By Bashir Rabe Mani
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Sokoto – Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Wednesday inaugurated a 60 MVA transformer with a promise to sustain government’s investment in infrastructure in the power sector.
The project was executed by the Sokoto Transmission Station under the auspices of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project has increased the capacity of the station to 140 MVA.
The project will also accommodate additional 33KV feeders which are expected to supply power to the recently-installed injection substation in Farfaru, on the outskirts of Sokoto town.
According to the governor, the state government is adopting various means to ensure adequate power supply to the people of the state.
“Let me use this opportunity to announce that the state government will soon evacuate about 30 to 38 megawatts of electricity to the national grid when the State Independent Power Project is fully completed.
” This project has the required capacity to absorb the power to be generated from the Sokoto IPP.
“We have adopted various measures to boost electricity supply in Sokoto state. This include exploratory discussions with companies willing to invest in wind and solar energy projects.
”We are on course to deliver on these promises because as a nation, we are well short of our target capacity in the power sector in the country.
”At this moment, no effort is too much in finding lasting solution to the energy needs of the people,” Tambuwal said.
The Managing Director and CEO of TCN, Mr Abubakar Atiku, said,” having been built and put into use in 1976, the company decided in 2012 to overhaul the tired 30 MVA equipment to the present 60 MVA capacity engines.
‘This is to ameliorate the suffering of electricity consumers in Sokoto metropolis and its environs.
“Today’s event is to witness the upgrading of the 30 MVA to 60 MVA capacity resulting to a total capacity of 140 MVA for the transmission station.
“This translates to more power, more job opportunities, more industries, enhanced quality of life and more development to the people of Sokoto State,” Atiku said.
He said the project was executed in-house by TCN engineers from the Shiroro Transmission Region, in Birnin Kebbi.
He said the engineers solely installed the 60 MVA transformer, saving costs that would have been incurred if the work was awarded to a contractor.
