TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the 50 megawatts (MW) Maiduguri emergency power project.

Speaking at the occasion on Thursday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, Buhari said the project was a testament to his administration’s innovations in the power sector.

He said the project showed yet another example of an immediate solution to moving the power sector forward in order to ensure stable and uninterrupted power supply.

Buhari said his administration has worked hard to fulfill the promise of tackling the country’s electricity challenges.

The president added that the current administration has succeeded in laying the foundation for a strong, prosperous country through the economic recovery and growth plan.

“Our key execution priority of the economic recovery and growth plan is ensuring energy security for our people,” Buhari said.

“The Maiduguri emergency power project is part of an incremental 4,000MW of power generating assets that this administration embarked upon to improve national power supply and stimulate economic growth.

“The aggressive project strategy deployed to complete this project on schedule is a total reflection of the federal government expertise in identifying and easing the plight of Nigerians; particularly those recovering from the adverse impact of the insurgency in this north-east region.

“Over the past few years, insurgents had attacked power supply lines along Maiduguri-Damaturu and Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu roads leading to acute power supply shortages to the city of Maiduguri and its environs and crippling the economic activities in the region.

“For this purposeful response, I want to commend the NNPC Ltd for following my directive to ensure the immediate restoration of reliable power supply to Maiduguri within the shortest possible time.”

Buhari also reaffirmed the federal government’s resolve to implement programmes — particularly in the power sector — that deepen domestic gas utilisation and expand national power generation capacity.

Also speaking at the inauguration, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, appreciated the president for his support and guidance.

“I reaffirm our allied loyalty, support and cooperation to the federal government of Nigeria under your able leadership for approving the construction of the 32 megawatts open cycle power plant as part of the 50 megawatts Maiduguri emergency power project which we are gathered here to commission,” he said. 

“This event is indeed another testament that this administration remains committed to tackling the power sector problems to guarantee stable and uninterrupted power supply aimed at improving the economy and lifting millions of Nigeria out of poverty, particularly the good people of Borno state.”

In February 2021, Maiduguri and other areas in Borno went into total blackout after Boko Haram members destroyed an electricity tower that supplies power to the state.

The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) later restored power to the state after two months of outage.

To combat the perennial power challenge in the Borno state capital and its environs, the NNPC, China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC), and General Electric (GE) signed an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) for the emergency power project.