The Federal Government has announced a goal to achieve a power generation capacity of at least 6,000 megawatts by the end of 2025.
This target was disclosed by the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, during his assessment visit to the Calabar Power Plant of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
Minister Adelabu highlighted that when President Bola Tinubu’s administration took office last year, the country’s power output was less than 3,000 megawatts from the existing infrastructure.
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However, he noted that there has been a steady increase in power generation since then, contributing to a more reliable electricity supply across the nation.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that a significant portion of the increased power generation is being sourced from the Calabar Power Plant, operated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.
Adelabu explained that the Calabar facility, which was constructed about 15 years ago with a capacity of 625 megawatts, had not been utilized to its full potential for many years.
The plant is equipped with five turbines, each capable of producing over 125 megawatts of power. Currently, three of these turbines are operational and supplying electricity to the Southeast and South-South regions of Nigeria.
The remaining two turbines are undergoing turnaround maintenance, and once completed, the Calabar plant is expected to contribute over 500 megawatts to the national grid.
Adelabu expressed optimism that with continued efforts, the Federal Government’s target of 6,000 megawatts by 2025 is attainable, which would significantly improve the country’s power supply and overall economic development.
The minister affirmed that the federal government is actively working on consolidating reforms within the power sector.
He stated that the primary objective of these reforms is to guarantee a stable power supply across the nation.
Additionally, he revealed that there has been a rise in energy demands, and the government is prepared to address these needs.
While charging the players in the oil and gas sector to be proactive, he said: “The power sector is very critical to both the government and national economy. This is why the president has asked me to visit all the power plants in the country and assess their functionality.
“It is not going to be business as usual. Players in the power sector must be up and about as the federal government is reforming the sector for optimal power generation and distribution in order to meet the huge demands of Nigerians.
“From my assessment, the Calabar Power Plant of Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, is the most active. I’m very satisfied. We’re encouraging power installation and generations.”
He also revealed that the highly discussed privatization of the plant to the Cross River State Government is currently under consideration by the Federal Privatization Council and the Federal Executive Council.
The Commissioner for Power and Energy in Cross River, Prince Eka Williams, expressed that the state government is fully prepared and equipped to take over and manage the firm effectively, thanks to the expertise present within the organization.
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On his part, the managing director of the firm, Chiedu Ugbo, noted that they are currently supplying power to a significant portion of the South-South and South East regions of the country.
He emphasized the necessity for additional sub-transmission power stations to ensure power distribution to various locations.
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