During the commissioning of the 220MVA substation at Randle Avenue in Surulere, Lagos State, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the allocation of N340 billion for power infrastructure upgrades across Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila highlighted Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring reliable power supply, emphasizing the importance of protecting power infrastructures to address issues such as estimated billing and poor meter distribution. He stressed that access to reliable electricity is not a privilege but a fundamental right crucial for driving productivity and improving citizens’ quality of life.
Furthermore, Gbajabiamila reiterated President Tinubu’s efforts to alleviate citizens’ hardships by rolling out wage awards for workers, providing financial support for SMEs, offering loans for students, unemployment benefits, and implementing various social security programs aimed at improving living conditions nationwide.
This announcement comes in the wake of Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu’s threat to sanction non-performing power distribution companies (DisCos) for their failure to deliver quality power supply despite significant government investments. Adelabu emphasized that one of the potential sanctions for willful non-performance could be the revocation of licenses.
In response to the declining electricity supply, Adelabu convened a crucial meeting with the Chief Executives of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), and the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). He expressed concern over the situation and urged DisCos to improve their performance, emphasizing the need to prioritize repair works on damaged transmission towers and power lines to enhance supply in affected regions.
Adelabu reassured Nigerians of ongoing efforts to settle outstanding debts owed to power generation and gas supply companies, which are expected to contribute to improved generation levels nationwide.
Source: ChannelsTV