The Federal Government says it plans to partner with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, towards the implementation of its power transmission and expansion programme.
This is contained in a statement by Odutayo Oluseyi, Assistant Director, Press, Ministry of Power on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr Oluseyi said that the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said this when he received a delegation from JICA in his office in Abuja.
Mr Aliyu said that the programme was aimed at expanding the power transmission network to support the rapid expanding industries in Lagos and Ogun states.
He assured JICA of President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to ensure that best practices were applied particularly to infrastructure development in the electricity supply industry in Nigeria.
The minister said that transmission was a major stake of government which was targeted at raising operational capacity to an appreciable level particularly at areas where industries were rapidly expanding.
He said that consultancy services for line route studies, environmental and social impact assessment, environmental social management plan for the proposed JICA transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun states had been completed.
Mr Aliyu said that the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme would be carried out by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN.
He said that this would be through a loan of 200 million dollars to be obtained from JICA.
The programme would provide about 203km high voltage transmission lines and six high voltage substations to cover five Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Ogun and one LGAs in Lagos state.
Mr Aliyu said that the programme would cover appropriately 200 communities.
“The counterpart funding for compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAP), consultancy services for line route studies, environmental and social impact assessment.
“Environmental social management plan for the proposed JICA transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun states are reflected in the 2021/ 2022 appropriation of the ministry,’’ he said.
Earlier, Sasaki Taigo, Senior Representative, JICA, Nigeria office and team leader said that their mission was to confirm the content of the loan agreement.
Mr Taigo said that the team was also in the ministry to confirm the Memorandum of Understanding on the Lagos and Ogun power transmission system improvement project with relevant Ministries and implementation agencies among others.
He said that JICA would meet with relevant authorities with the aim of having the loan agreement signed in March.
NAN
