The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has promised to fast-track the repairs of all pipelines vandalised last year to ensure stable gas supply to thermal power plants for improved power supply.
The Corporation made the commitment during a closed door meeting of operators and stakeholders in the power sector with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, in Lagos.
A communiqué issued after the meeting, which was made available to The Nation, noted that the NNPC stated that work was ongoing on the repairs.
The report noted that the Okpai power plant in Delta State was the best performing thermal power plant last year while Shiroro was the best hydro power plant.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said transmission projects in Shagamu, Ikeja West, Ajah, Ayobo, Omotosho, Agege and Ogba slated for completion between this April and end of this year, when completed, would improve power supply to Lagos State and environs.
According to TCN, the completion of outstanding works at switch station in Akwa Ibom State, which was inaugurated in November last year, is imperative to take full advantage of added generation capacity to deliver incremental power.
The TCN said the capacity of the grid is dynamic and with the inauguration of Ikot Ekpene switch yard, transmission capacity will be above 6,500megawatts (Mw) from the current capacity of 5,500Mw.
Stakeholders in the power sector, according to the communiqué, noted the need for government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to pay their debts, which is well over N1trillion, to power sector operators and service providers to improve liquidity in the sector.
The operators agreed they would submit all outstanding audited accounts before their next stakeholders meeting next month to improve transparency within the sector while the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) said all service providers should pay their bills to the it as well as suppliers to service providers to ensure the sector remains functional.
Fashola directed that customer service shall be the focus of the power sector this year and urged operators and service providers to step up the user experience of their customer by increasing metering and reducing estimated billing and prioritise safety.
Against the background of incidents in the past year, all the operators agreed to prioritise safety in all their undertakings to avoid future accidents.
- Nation
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