On Friday, President Bola Tinubu directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to finish the 350 megawatt power plant now under construction in the Federal Capital Territory within three years.
He gave the order in Abuja, at the Presidential Groundbreaking of the 350MW project, the first phase of the 7,350MW Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant.
Tinubu stated that the 350MW power plant was critical to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
He described it as his administration’s first audacious step towards establishing a robust power sector to fuel the economy.
At the event, Tinubu told the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, that, “A three-year project must be three years. Nigerians are watching and they are anxious of all promises made and these promises must be kept”
He urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, among others, to ensure that NNPCL completed the project in record time.“I’m reassuring Nigerians that this government is determined to improve your lives,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that he promised to make electricity stable in Nigeria during his campaign for the position of President.
“All power distribution bottlenecks will be removed,” he said.
He said the early commencement of the project by his administration showed, “Our determination to bring positive change to Nigerians,” and that, “This administration will reduce power-related hardship in Nigeria.”
On his part, the NNPCL boss said there was significant natural gas resources of over 209 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves and a potential reserve of over 600TCF in Nigeria.
He said, “As a commercial enterprise, NNPC sees this project as an opportunity to monetise our abundant natural gas resources, by expanding access to energy to support economic growth, industrialization, and job creation across the country.”