Fakoyejo OlalekanThe French Development Agency (AFD) and the Federal Government have signed a €25 million agreement to upgrade electricity in the north-western part of the country.
According to the Minister of state for budget and national planning, Clem Agba, the agreement was sealed with AFD and European Union, on Wednesday, to fund the Northern Corridor Project.
Agba said the €25 million deal is on the back of the National Development Plan 2021 to 2025. Northern states expected to benefit from the electricity development plan include Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi and Nasarawa.
The agreement will result in the development of 800 km of 330 kV double circuit transmission lines. It was also gathered that the capital disbursed into the project will lead to the building or upgrade of 13 sub-stations.
“I want to thank the EU and AFD and the French government for this intervention in Nigeria’s power sector, especially as it has to do with transmission lines and substations.” He said.
The minister explained that, “Power is very essential, and what we are signing today (Wednesday) demonstrates this. This project will help TCN to operationalise its ‘Transmission Expansion Plan’, through the construction of additional transmission lines and substations across nine states in the northern part of the country — Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi and Nasarawa.”
Head of Unit/Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Cecile Tassin-Pelzer, said the EU and the French Development Agency have been working together in the power sector since 2017.
“We are happy about this collaboration, particularly in the energy and agricultural sector under the Green Economy Team Europe Initiative.
“The collaboration is a concrete example of how the EU Global Gateway can contribute to major investments in infrastructure development.
“We are now looking at the implementation of the project, which is very important to us.” Tassin-Pelzer said.
Meanwhile, the AFD country director, Xavier Muron, hinted of the creation of solar farms in the north-western part of Nigeria, stating that mixed diversification has been unachievable due to poor transmission networks.
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