As part of Federal Government’s plan to improve power supply in the country, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is set to build three power transmission substations in Kaduna State.

The General Manager, Public Affairs of TCN, Mrs. Seun Olagunju, disclosed this to reporters shortly after the company’s management inspected the three sites for the proposed projects in Kaduna.

She said the multi-billion Naira projects would be completed between 18 to 24 months after TCN gets titles of the projects’ sites from the Kaduna State Government.

According to Mrs. Olagunju, the projects were parts of the Transmission Company’s expansion to set it above the curve in the power sector.

“We already have expansion plans and this is part of our expansion plan. We need to be above the curve. The Managing Director of TCN has been visiting some of the State Governors because we have had issues of land in some states.

“We had land issues of encroachment and vandalism, while in some cases, people come to claim ownership of land and sometimes we end up in court with legal issue. That is why we have been visiting some of the governors to say please help us solve this one so that our own is to put the substations in place,” she said on Wednesday.

The General Manager noted that the projects would commence in 2017, as the Kaduna State government had assured them that the issue of compensation to the land owners was ongoing and would be concluded soon.

“Already survey for the transmission lines have been done, it is just for the titles to be issued and we commence and soon. We are going to advertise for these projects and hit the ground running.”

Speaking on the capacity of the proposed stations, the General Manager of Kaduna Transmission Centre, Abdullahi Suleiman, disclosed that the State Government has given TCN 750 square metres behind Millennium City, 350 square metres at Rigasa and Kakau respectively for the projects.

He expressed optimism that the additional transmission stations of about 540 MPA would boost power transmission with about 100% of the current capacity.

Earlier, the Director-General of Kaduna Geographic Information Service, Ibrahim Hussain, said Governor Nasir El-Rufai received the news of the proposed substations in Kaduna with joy.

He noted that the development was responsible for the speed at which the State Government had allocated land for the projects.

Mr Hussain said the State Government was eager to see improved power supply in the state, as inadequate power supply had shut down many industries in the state.

He assured TCN that titles would soon be issued for the allocated lands, as the government was almost done with the compensation of the land owners. (Channels TV)

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