Felix Onyeka
THE federal government has commissioned the upgraded transmission infrastructure at Alausa and Lekki substations in Lagos, adding a combined 272 megawatts (MW) of bulk power capacity.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, commissioned the projects on Tuesday as part of the federal government’s transmission network expansion.
A statement issued on Tuesday, August 18, by Adeola Labzy, special adviser on media to the minister, at Alausa, said an existing 30MVA transformer was replaced with a new 100MVA unit, increasing the station’s total capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA.
The ministry noted that the upgrade also increased bulk power available to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) by 80MW.
According to the statement, at Lekki, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) installed two additional 60MVA, 132/33kV power transformers and nine new 33kV feeders.
The statement said the project doubled the substation’s 132/33kV capacity from 120MVA to 240MVA, representing an increase of approximately 192MW.
“The Lekki project, executed by Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited with World Bank support, also includes an additional 1x300MVA, 330/132kV transformer expected to be energised in November 2026,” the statement reads.
The Minister said in his remarks that the projects reflected the administration’s deliberate approach to addressing structural bottlenecks in the power sector.
“Identify the bottleneck. Invest in it. Remove the constraint. Unlock the capacity,” the minister said.
He said the upgrades were in line with President Bola Tinubu’s determination to “confront the infrastructure constraints that have limited Nigeria’s economic potential”.
Tegbe added that ageing equipment and stranded capacity would continue to be addressed nationwide.
He commended TCN, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and IKEDC, as well as Shanghai Electric Group and the World Bank, for their roles in delivering the projects.
Tegbe also congratulated Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, for sustaining an enabling environment for infrastructure investment in the state.
The TCN managing director and chief executive officer (CEO), Sule Abdulaziz, said the Alausa project, executed by Shanghai Electric Limited under a World Bank-funded initiative, would provide more stable and reliable electricity to at least 70,000 residents through IKEDC upon energisation.
Abdulaziz said the upgrade would strengthen grid stability and enable more bulk power to reach distribution companies for onward supply within their franchise areas.
He described the project as proof that “TCN remains resolute in its mandate of building and sustaining a robust transmission network, capable of transporting Nigeria’s growing power needs to various distribution load centres nationwide”.
On Monday, the federal government upgraded transmission substations in Ijora and Apapa, Lagos, adding 208 megawatts (MW) of bulk transmission capacity to the national grid.
