FG Commissions 80MVA Walalambe Substation in Kano, Connects 30-Year Off-Grid Company to National Grid
The Federal Government has commissioned a new 2 x 40 MVA, 132/33 kV transmission substation at Walalambe, Kano State, to boost electricity supply to industrial and commercial corridors in the state.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, who commissioned the facility recently, said the substation is the first of four to be commissioned in Kano, and will create a new bulk supply point to relieve pressure on existing facilities.
Tegbe said the project will benefit the Tokarawa Industrial Area, Eastern Bypass, Maiduguri Road, Hadejia Road and adjoining communities, which are key hubs for productive activity and urban growth.
He added that the substation will also provide alternative supply arrangements for the Mariri, Jogana, Farm Centre and Zaria Road 33/11 kV injection substations, giving the network more flexibility in managing supply.
A major highlight of the project, according to the Minister, is the dedicated 33 kV feeder to the Lee Group of Companies, which has operated off-grid for over 30 years.
“Providing a route to grid supply for an established industrial enterprise demonstrates the economic purpose of transmission investment,” Tegbe said.
He appealed to host communities to protect the facility against vandalism, noting that the cost of vandalism is felt in interrupted trade, lost working hours and disrupted family life.
The Minister commended the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the Nigerian Independent System Operator, NISO, the Kano Electricity Distribution Company, KNEDC, Atlantic Engineering and Construction Company Limited, and the World Bank which financed the project.
He noted that the project is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda to strengthen electricity supply across the country.
Tegbe conveyed the President’s greetings and lauded the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for his commitment to development and partnership that enabled the project.
The commissioning, he said, marks another step towards building an electricity network that matches the scale of enterprise in Kano.
