Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has said that Nasarawa state would soon be connected to the national grid for efficient power supply.
Fashola stated this on Monday at the opening of the 23rd power sector monthly meeting in Lafia.
The minister, who also inspected the level of work at the 330/132KV line supplying power from the national grid to the state, said the project would be completed by September, this year.
He said that the project when completed, would expand the scope of supply to the state for the people to have power from the national grid on a regular basis.
“I am happy to say that the contractor is on site and has assured myself and the governor that the project will be completed by September this year,” Fashola said.
He said that the Federal Government would continue to intervene in the area of power infrastructures in the state, such as the just inaugurated 2/7.5 MVA substation in Lafia.
The minister said that the Keffi substation has been expanded with the addition of a 60MVA transformer to the existing 30MVA transformer at the station and would serve some remote communities like Loko, Toto, Gunduma, Nasarawa town, Keffi amongst others.
He said that the power sector monthly meeting is a one-stop-shop where all the stakeholders converge to discuss issues in each state and the transmission facilities.
He noted that apart from the several critical infrastructural projects in the state, such as the Loko-Oweto bridge project across the river Benue, nearing completion, financing arrangement had been concluded for the expansion of the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway.
Also, Governor Umaru Al-Makura commended the Federal Government for the various intervention projects in the state and pledged the support of the state towards the success of the Buhari-led government.
Earlier, the Nasarawa state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Yahaya Wada appealed to the federal government through the minister to expedite action on power expansion projects in the state.
He also appealed for the timely intervention of the ministry on the alleged deliberate disconnection of some local government areas by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in spite of an improvement in power generation.
“The action and inaction by AEDC are counter-productive and capable of bringing unrest in Doma and Awe local government areas currently without power supply for some time,” Wada added.
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