The Federal Government has commissioned transmission projects in Kano and Katsina states that it says have added 616 megawatts of capacity to the national electricity grid, in a move aimed at strengthening power delivery across the North-West.
The projects, commissioned by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on October 22 and 23, include a new transmission substation and six transformer projects.
The minister also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a new substation in Mashi, Katsina State, and inspected an ongoing 200MVA gas-insulated switchgear substation in Katsina.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the projects would strengthen bulk electricity transmission, improve network capacity and provide additional room to accommodate rising electricity demand.
According to the ministry, the completed projects added 240MW of capacity at the 330-kilovolt level and another 376MW at the 132kV level, bringing the combined capacity to 616MW.
The development is part of efforts to address transmission constraints that limit the amount of electricity that can be moved reliably from the national grid to distribution networks and, ultimately, to consumers.
Infrastructure gaps remain a major challenge
Nigeria’s electricity supply continues to face challenges arising from inadequate transmission infrastructure, ageing equipment, operational constraints and weaknesses across the power value chain.
Even where generation is available, bottlenecks in transmission and distribution can prevent electricity from reaching homes and businesses in the quantities required.
Additional transformer and substation capacity can help ease congestion at overloaded facilities, improve the movement of bulk electricity and create room for future demand growth.
For industrial and commercial consumers, improved transmission infrastructure could support more reliable operations and reduce the need to depend heavily on alternative power sources, although the actual benefits will depend on wider grid performance.
The projects in Kano and Katsina are particularly relevant to a region where growing urban populations, commercial activities and industrial demand place pressure on electricity infrastructure.
New substation planned for Mashi
The groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Mashi substation signals further investment in the transmission network in Katsina State.
The ongoing 200MVA gas-insulated switchgear project is also expected to strengthen the network when completed and commissioned.
However, the commissioning of additional capacity does not automatically translate into a corresponding increase in electricity delivered to every customer. The impact will depend on generation availability, transmission operations, distribution infrastructure and the ability of electricity distribution companies to supply power to end users.
The government’s latest projects therefore represent an infrastructure addition, while sustained improvements in electricity supply will require coordinated investment and effective operation across the entire power sector.
