By Abdullahi Jalaludeen
The Federal Government has commissioned an 80MVA, 132kV transmission substation at Walalambe in Kano State to strengthen electricity supply, support industrial activities and improve power distribution across the state.
Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi who disclosed this during the commissioning ceremony, said the facility would provide an additional electricity supply point and reduce pressure on existing transmission infrastructure.
He said areas expected to benefit include Tokarawa Industrial Area, Eastern Bypass, Maiduguri Road, Mariri, Farm Centre, Zaria Road and adjoining communities.
Olasunkanmi said the project would also provide a dedicated 33kV feeder to Lee Group of Companies, an industrial establishment that had operated off-grid for more than 30 years, thereby supporting production, business expansion and employment generation.
The minister explained that the Federal Government had designated Kano, Kaduna and Abuja as energy zones in the northern axis, with technical audits underway to identify infrastructure gaps and support the drive towards 24-hour electricity supply.
The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Engineer Sule Ahmed, said the project, conceived in 2005, would improve bulk power supply and reduce the load on the Dakata and Dan’agundi transmission substations.
He added that 132/33kV power transformers were also commissioned at Kumbotso and Dan’agundi substations.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Mr. Gaddafi Sani, commended the Federal Government and TCN, noting that Kano’s electricity demand could reach 1,000 megawatts, while the state currently received about 300 megawatts or less, shared with Jigawa and Katsina states.
The governor called for increased electricity allocation to Kano and urged the Federal Government to address right-of-way challenges affecting other power projects. He said the state government had paid two billion naira in compensation and allocated land to 750 claimants to resolve a longstanding dispute at Rimin Zakara.
Abdullahi Jalaluddeen, Kano.
