21st February, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that the country has the potential to generate enough power for the domestic needs in the country, promising that, the country will complete the interfacing of the power sector with the private sector in the next two years.
Jonathan disclosed this Friday while commissioning the second largest power plant in Nigeria located at Olorunsogo community in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun state, southwest, Nigeria.
According to him: “our total commitment is that this projects we’ve started, the privatisation of the power sector, we want to midwife it to a level where we will not go backward. We are in the transitional phase from the 100 per cent control of the power sector to 100 per cent control of the private sector.
“To stimulate the micro and medium enterprises, government must invest and must show significant concern for power and that is what we are doing and we promise this country that surely in the next two years, the interface between 100 per cent government control of power sector and 100 per cent control of the private sector will be sealed properly and Nigerians would take power for granted.
“This interface need to be properly midwifed to manage and that can not take us too long, in the next two years, this interface will be properly sealed and Nigerians could take the power sector for granted, just like other countries
“We have the potential to generate enough power for our domestic needs in this country. We can annex our gas resources, which, of course, Olorunsogo is one example. We can annex our water resources, the dams, which we are planing two major dams in the North.
“The proceeds realised from the privatisation process, would be reinvested to further strengthen the national transmission grid and the aim is to increase the wheeling capacity on one hand, as well as to upgrade the potentials from the rehabilitation or update of some identified dams in the country into functioning hydro – electric power plants,” Jonathan said.
The president stated that with the commissioning, the government is moving in the right direction, adding that, the power station commenced commercial operations by exporting power to the national grid for the people in 2011.
He disclosed that the commissioning today, however, is in fulfillment and commemoration of the completion of the four gas lanes and two steam turbines to actualize the 750 megawatts plant.
“This station is the third of the 10 power plants under the National Integrated Power Project, NIPP located in different parts of the country that I have the the honour of officially commissioning. In October 2013, I commissioned two of these NIPP power stations, these were the 434 megawatts in station and the 500 megawatt Omotosho station in Kogi and Ondo States respectively.
“I am confident that in line with our aim of boosting the national electricity generation capacity by over 4, 700 megawatts by the end of this year, the others will follow in quick succession.
“Today’s epoch making event therefore, consolidates our progress in re-enforcing our result towards making a permanent difference in the development of our nation through regular and quality electricity supply.
“The Olorunsogo power station which brought us here today, the second largest energy NIPP power station in our country, with 750 Megawatt combined-cycle plant and would be fed with gas from Itoki gas mapping station on the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System, the people of Ogun State and all people who will be served with this station deserve no less.
“It is instructive that to improve the capacity and translation built to effectively wheel the improved power generation capacity and enhanced delivery to final industrial and domestic consumers, high voltage power evacuating transmission lines on 330KV Olorunsogo/Aiyede in Oyo State and the 330KV Olorunsogo, Ikeja where single circuit lines in Lagos State have been put in place.
“This transmission infrastructure and associated sub-stations have increased power evacuation capacities within the South-West geo-political zone and indeed the entire country.
“Electricity remains the pivot of our industrialisation drive and today’s commissioning would not only add and sustain the significant megawatts to the national grid, but in effect boost production and commercial activities of the catchment areas of the country,”the President revealed.
President Goodluck Jonathan however declared that the Federal government had commuted about $8.26 billion on the National Integrated Power Project,NIPP through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company out of which $650 million was expended on the construction of the Olorunsogo power plant.
The Olorunsogo power plant 1 is distributing 335 megawatts while the second power plant which was commissioned on Friday will be distributing 750 megawatts.
Jonathan arrived the commissioning accompanied by the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; Honourable Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke; Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State who stood in for the vice president.
Others are the former governors of Ogun and Anambra, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Peter Obi, representatives of Ekiti, Benue and Abia States government, traditional rulers in Ogun led by the Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of Ogun State Traditional rulers, diplomats,captains of industries, various political, cultural and social groups.