The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved $53.1million and N2.1billion, as local component, for the procurement and installation of electricity conductors to boost supply across the country.
Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him the conductors, when installed, will help address the challenge of constant tripping of circuit breakers due to overloading of electricity lines.
“The total amount for these four components of conductors is $53,131,128.93 plus an onshore component of N2,127,068,626. 45.”
He said the new conductors would be used to upgrade existing electricity lines to enhance their efficiency.
“These are existing lines which are being upgraded. The wires will be removed and new ones put in place and the difference is that the new ones will be more efficient because they’ll carry more load than the old ones.
“They will reduce sagging because once the wires are aged, they will sag and they become vulnerable and heavier.
“So, these ones are lighter and can carry more electricity so it will improve efficiency and address the challenges of constant tripping of the breakers due to the overloading.
“The overloading of these lines will be tremendously reduced.”
The minister listed the four components of the contract to include 173-kilometre Kubotso- Hadeja line; 105-kilometre Kumbotso-Kankiya line; 90-kilometre Benin-Irrua line and 72-kilometre Irrua-Okpella.
Other components include 48-kilometre Okpella-Okenne and 58-kilometer Okenna-Ajaokuta lines as well as the 394-kilometre Gombe-Biu-Damboa-Maiduguri line.
Aliyu also disclosed that the Council approved a N1.46billion contract for the procurement of 20 transformers ratio analysers for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
