Connect with us

News

FEC approves €161m for procurement, upgrade of power substations

Published

on

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved contracts for the engineering, procurement, and construction of new substations under the presidential power initiative (PPI) to bolster Nigeria’s power sector.

The council approved the contracts during its meeting on Monday in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, said the contracts — worth approximately €161 million — would enable upgrades of 14 existing substations and the establishment of 21 new ones across the country.

He said the project is aimed at increasing the national electricity supply.

“The approval marks a crucial step in delivering on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to enhance Nigeria’s power capacity,” Adelabu said.

Adelabu said the initiative aims to achieve an operational capacity of 12,000 megawatts (MW) within four years — with a short-term target of 8,000 MW in the next 12 to 24 months.

Key locations for the substations, he said, include Onitsha, Abeokuta, and Sokoto.

See also  FEC approves construction of Lagos-PH road, social security payments to poor Nigerians

“These upgrades are essential for stabilising our transmission network and ensuring reliable power supply to Nigerians,” Adelabu added.

“There were basically two approvals for the Federal Ministry of Power as presented.

“The first was an approval for the award of contract, for engineering, procurement, construction and financing for the implementation of the 330/132 KV and 132/33 KV substations upgrade under the phase one of the presidential initiative, popularly known as the Siemens project.

“Subsequent upon completion of the pilot phase of this project, the FEC at today’s meeting considered it necessary for us to move forward as promised by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at a meeting he held with the President of the Republic of Germany last week.”

Adelabu said the approved cost of the first batch of the “phase one of the Siemens project was €161.33 million”.

“Phase one of this Siemens project, as it relates to the transmission, upgrade and expansion, actually includes 14 brownfield substations that need upgrade and revamping, and 21 Greenfield substations, which are new substations to be built across the country to improve the transmission segment,” the minister said.

See also  Two dead, many injured in Ibadan

“The first batch of this phase one of the projects include one Onitsha, 330/133 KV substation under the Enugu electricity distribution company.

“Two, Offa 132/33 KV substation under the Ibadan electricity company. There is the new Abeokuta 330/132 KV substation.

“We have Ayede 330/132 KV substation. And lastly, Sokoto 132/33 KV substation. Those are the five substations to be worked upon under the first batch of phase one of the Siemens project.”

‘FEC APPROVES ACQUISITION OF NELMCO OFFICE COMPLEX’ 

Speaking further, Adelabu said the FEC approved the acquisition of an office complex for the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) in Abuja for N1.7 billion.

He said the approval was aimed at reducing the skyrocketing rental costs and ensuring NELMCO can effectively manage its expanded responsibilities in the reformed electricity sector.

“The office complex approved for outright purchase is at Plot 2148, Cadastra Zone A02 Wuse 1 District Abuja. The cost of this acquisition is N1.7 billion inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT,” Adelabu said.

See also  CBN investigator summons Tunde Lemo over sale of Union Bank

The minister said the acquisition is important to “avoid the escalating rent, which is being increased regularly due to inflation”.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

Published

on

By

Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

See also  How army deserter, Onyearmy trained 1,000 IPOB fighters, killed Gulak, others – Police

Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

See also  BREAKING: CBN orders banks to start paying new naira notes over the counter

On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

Continue Reading

News

Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

Published

on

By

1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

See also  FEC approves construction of Lagos-PH road, social security payments to poor Nigerians

4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

See also  77-yr-old Nigerian Uber driver shot dead in US, passenger in critical condition

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

See also  How army deserter, Onyearmy trained 1,000 IPOB fighters, killed Gulak, others – Police

10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

Continue Reading

News

Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

Published

on

By

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

See also  PDP's North East Zonal treasurer Galadima Abba dumps party over treatment of Wike

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

See also  AIB submits report on crash that killed COAS Attahiru

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

Continue Reading

Trending News