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Abuja, Lagos Power Upgrades Face Months of Transformer Production
Abuja, Lagos Power Upgrades Face Months of Transformer Production
FEC approves three projects for Abuja and the Lagos axis.
Three 300MVA transformers require specialised manufacturing.
A 35.6-kilometre power line is scheduled for expansion.
Production alone could take three to six months.
October 29, () – New electricity projects approved for Abuja and the Lagos axis will require months of equipment production before some of the planned improvements can reach consumers, Power Minister Joseph Tegbe has said.
The Federal Executive Council approved three projects covering works at Katampe in Abuja, the supply of three high-capacity transformers for the Lagos network and a transmission line upgrade along the Lagos–Sagamu corridor.
Speaking after the council’s October 28 meeting, Tegbe said the 300MVA transformers must be specially manufactured, a process that could take between three and six months.
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That estimate covers production, leaving delivery, installation and testing before the equipment can enter service.
A 300MVA transformer Source Wikimedia Commons
Where the Work Is Planned
Channel
The Katampe project involves underground and overhead double-circuit lines connected to the transmission substation.
Along the Lagos–Sagamu corridor, a 35.6-kilometre, 132kV line will be reconstructed from a single-circuit to a double-circuit configuration to accommodate additional electricity demand.
The Lagos transformer approval covers design, manufacture and supply. Published accounts of the briefing differ on the receiving substation, identifying either Egbin or Ikeja West. The precise location remains to be confirmed against the contract documentation.
Tegbe said the large transformers would require overseas manufacturing because Nigeria does not yet produce equipment of that specification domestically.
He also pointed to rising international demand for transformers, including demand associated with artificial intelligence and data centres.
The available accounts of the approvals did not provide contract values or complete commissioning schedules for the three projects. Consequently, the manufacturing estimate does not establish when households or factories should expect additional supply.
Katampe Abuja Source Wikipedia Commons
Katampe’s Recent Fault Shows the Need for Alternative Routes
Earlier this month, the Transmission Company of Nigeria restored bulk supply to Katampe through the Gwagwalada–Katampe line after a fault interrupted the Shiroro–Katampe connection.
TCN said supply returned at 4.15 p.m. on October 9. Planned maintenance on the Gwagwalada line was suspended so it could continue feeding the substation while the Shiroro connection remained out of service.
That incident illustrates the operational value of having another route available when a major connection fails.
It also shows why electricity supply depends on the condition of lines and associated equipment, as well as transformer capacity.
Katampe had already received a separate 300MVA transformer in May, increasing its installed transformation capacity from 450MVA to 750MVA.
TCN said that installation would allow Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to take additional power for onward distribution.
The October approvals concern further work. Their benefit to customers will depend on the equipment arriving, being installed and entering service, alongside the distribution network’s ability to deliver the electricity.
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