By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has commissioned two major transmission infrastructure projects in Lagos State, comprising two 100MVA transformers at the Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation and a new 2×60MVA Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Apapa Road.
The projects, commissioned on Monday by the Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, are expected to strengthen bulk electricity supply to some of Lagos’ most economically important industrial, commercial and residential corridors.
At Ijora, the installation of two new 100MVA, 132/33kV transformers has increased the substation’s installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, representing an additional 140MVA, or approximately 112MW, of bulk transmission capacity.
Speaking at the commissioning, Tegbe said the project was more than the addition of two transformers, describing it as an investment in the industries, ports, commercial centres and communities that sustain Lagos’ economy.
He said the original Ijora substation had three 30MVA transformers, with a combined installed capacity of 90MVA, equivalent to about 72MW.
According to him, rising population, commercial activities and industrial expansion within the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) franchise area had rendered the existing capacity inadequate, resulting in suppressed load and constrained electricity supply.
The minister said the upgrade would significantly improve electricity supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities while increasing the capacity available to consumers and businesses within the EKEDC franchise area.
Tegbe said the intervention formed part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to address structural constraints in the power sector and create a transmission network capable of delivering electricity reliably to areas where it is needed.
He linked the investments to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy, stressing that electricity remained central to achieving the objective.
“The objective is not just to generate more megawatts. The objective is to create a power system that can reliably deliver electricity to where it is needed, when it is needed, and at a quality and cost that supports economic activity,” he said.
The minister noted that Nigeria had, over the years, experienced situations where available generation could not be adequately evacuated because of transmission limitations, while growing demand was not matched by corresponding investment in transmission infrastructure.
At Apapa Road, the Federal Government also commissioned a modern 2×60MVA, 132/33kV GIS, which has increased the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.
The project provides an additional 120MVA of transformation capacity and, according to the minister, increases bulk power availability within the axis by approximately 96MW.
The upgraded facility comprises two 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformers, new 132kV and 33kV GIS switchgear, a new control building, modern protection and control systems, and Substation Automation Systems (SAS) and SCADA infrastructure.
Tegbe said the facility was particularly important because Apapa is a major economic corridor hosting port operations, maritime services, logistics companies, manufacturing facilities, warehouses and commercial enterprises.
He explained that the original Apapa Road GIS Substation was commissioned in 1985 and had served Apapa and surrounding communities for decades before ageing infrastructure necessitated its replacement.
Following the decommissioning of the original GIS facility, the area temporarily depended on an outdoor 60MVA transformer.
The minister said the Federal Government subsequently secured support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme for the rehabilitation and reinforcement of the Apapa Road transmission facility.
He described the completed project as an example of how international development cooperation could deliver durable infrastructure and measurable economic benefits.
Tegbe commended the Government of Japan and JICA for their support, as well as Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Takaoka Engineering Company Limited, which executed the Apapa project, and Yachiyo Engineering Company Limited, which provided supervision.
He also commended the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), engineers, technicians, contractors, consultants and other professionals involved in the projects.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TCN, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the Apapa Road project represented a major milestone in the modernisation of Nigeria’s transmission network.
Abdulaziz said the installation and energisation of the two new 60MVA transformers, together with the deployment of modern GIS equipment, had tripled the substation’s capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA.
He said the increased capacity would provide more bulk electricity for EKEDC to offtake and distribute to customers in Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island and other critical commercial areas.
According to him, the project had also improved the quality of electricity supply while contributing to the productivity of Lagos State and the wider Nigerian economy.
The TCN boss disclosed that the project was delivered by Takaoka Engineering Company Limited under the Emergency Rehabilitation and Reinforcement of Lagos Transmission Substations project.
He said the Federal Government and JICA signed the grant agreement for the intervention on November 23, 2018, while implementation commenced in 2019 following preparatory surveys and grant mobilisation by Yachiyo Engineering Company Limited.
Abdulaziz said the successful completion of the project underscored TCN’s commitment to modernising the national transmission network, reducing technical losses and improving the stability of the national grid.
He appealed for similar grant support for other critical sections of the transmission network, saying additional interventions would enable TCN to sustain and optimise transmission operations nationwide.
The minister said the Federal Government recognised Lagos’ strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy and would continue to collaborate with the state government and other stakeholders to provide infrastructure capable of supporting its growth.
He said the government would continue to identify critical points where targeted investment could unlock additional electricity and economic activity, while reinforcing transmission infrastructure, addressing bottlenecks and supporting improvements in electricity distribution.
Tegbe formally commissioned the two 100MVA transformers and associated upgraded facilities at the Ijora substation, as well as the 2×60MVA GIS and associated facilities at Apapa Road, on behalf of President Tinubu.
He dedicated the projects to the people of Lagos, businesses and industries, host communities and Nigerians whose prosperity, he said, remained central to the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The commissioning ceremonies were attended by representatives of the Federal and Lagos State governments, TCN, NISO, EKEDC, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, the World Bank, JICA, the Japanese government, contractors and other development and technical partners.