FG Boosts Power Supply In Lagos, Commissions Upgraded Ijora, Apapa Substations
By Sunday Etuka
The Federal Government has commissioned two newly upgraded transmission substations in Lagos, injecting an additional 208 megawatts of bulk power capacity into the nation’s busiest economic corridors, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s push to fix long-standing structural bottlenecks in the power sector.
The upgrades at Ijora and Appa Road substations were unveiled on Monday, with officials describing them as a direct response to years of transmission constraints that have left generated power stranded and unable to reach consumers.
At Ijora, the installation of two new 100MVA transformers lifted the substation’s capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, adding 112MW to the grid. At Apapa Road, a new Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) added 96MW, replacing an outdoor transformer that had served as a stopgap since the original facility, commissioned in 1985, was decommissioned.
Speaking at the Commissioning, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the upgrades reflected the administration’s determination to tackle infrastructure decay that has constrained economic activity for years.
He described President Tinubu as demonstrating “fearless commitment to addressing the structural constraints that have held our economy back,” tying the project to the government broader ambition of building a one trillion-dollar economy.
Tegbe commended the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for backing the projects and said the Ministry would continue reinforcing transmission infrastructure nationwide to close the gap between available generation and the capacity to deliver it, a gap officials say has repeatedly stranded power that the grid could not evacuate.
In his welcome address at the Apapa transmission facility, the Managing Director/CEO of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the works had tripled the station’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA, increasing bulk power available for onward delivery by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island.
The ceremonies drew senior officials, including the Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki (represented by his Deputy), and JICA Nigeria’s Chief Representative, Ishigame Keiji, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, the CEO of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Directors and Ministerial Aides from the Federal Ministry of Power, Representative of Lagos State Government, as well as representatives of the Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution companies.
