President Bola Tinubu on Friday restated his commitment to remove obstacles hindering stable electricity supply in the country.
Tinubu, at the ground breaking ceremony of the new 350MW Gwagwalada Independent Thermal Power Plant (Phase 1), an FCT suburb, promised to tackle the challenges across the electric power sector value chain and relieve the long standing problems of suppressed demand and improve the steadiness of peak supply.
The president said that improved energy generation and distribution was an imperative for accelerated national growth.
He urged the NNPC and its partners to deliver the landmark project within the promised three years completion timeline, insisting that “three years must be three years.”
“Although the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is currently characterized by huge supply-gap deficits owing to dilapidated power infrastructure and poor distributions networks, amongst others.
“This administration is poised to address every power value chain challenge that will significantly relieve the suppressed demand.
“It will also enhance generation, and improve national peak growth and sustainability far above the hitherto abysmal and unacceptable 5,300MW for over 200 million Nigerians,” the President said.
Tinubu applauded the NNPCL for its proactive initiative in this direction, saying.
“The recent strategic partnership between the NNPC Ltd and NIPCO Gas Limited to deploy Compressed Natural Gas stations across the country is another excellent example.
“The landmark collaboration will expand Nigeria’s CNG infrastructure, improve access to CNG, and accelerate the adoption of a cheaper and cleaner alternative fuel for buses, cars, and `keke napep` nationwide”, the president said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the NNPC-NIPCO partnership, 35 state-of-the-art CNG stations will be constructed nationwide, including three mother stations.
When fully operational, the stations would have the ability to service 200,000 vehicles daily”.