The Federal Government through the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Ltd, yesterday, flagged off the construction of new 15 kilometers 33kV line address transmission infrastructure challenges in the South West region of the country.
The line, which will begin from Ile-Ife Transmission substation to Garage-Olode Town, Ife South LGA of Osun State, would restore power supply to the area, which has been without electricity supply for over 10 years.
Speaking at the flag-off, Gboyega Oyetola said the project remained critical to his administration, noting that the need to improve supply across the state was critical.
Oyetola said: “through this project, power supply will be restored to Ife South West LCDA, thus ending the unpalatable decade of power outage”.
He said powering other communities such as Iyanfoworogi, Aye Coker, Aye-Oba, Wanikin Eleja, Egbejoda, Idi Obi and Ali Ahanran would become feasible in the first phase of the project and that when completed, the project would cover the entire Ife South Local Government and the LCDA.
Oyetola said the project occupied a strategic place in his administration’s agenda to empower the benefiting communities to contribute substantially to the development of the State.
Executive Director, Networks, NDPHC, Ifeoluwa Oyedele, said the distribution intervention project also includes the rehabilitation of the 15km 33kV Ifetedo/Garage-Olode power line.
Oyedele stated that the project would see the dualisation of 3km of 33KVA line from Mayfair roundabout to Modakeke, adding that 8 Nos of 300 KVA and 8 Nos of 500KVA distribution transformers will be supplied and installed in the community.
Oyedele said: “Following the intervention of the Governor of Osun State, we at NDPHC, in keeping with our mandate to improve electricity infrastructure in Nigeria visited Garage-Olode Community for location inspection and discovered that the Community electricity supply is being fed from old Akure Transmission Substation which has been dilapidated for a very long time.
“In scoping this project, we engaged with IBEDC and we have been assured that the intervention of NDPHC in the improvement of electricity infrastructure in this Community will align with their proposed infrastructure upgrade in the Community and the entire State.
“With this intervention, there will be a great improvement in the condition of living of the people, socio-economic activities, commerce and industry and general wellbeing in Garage-Olode Community. All these, the people owe to a thoughtful and purposeful leader President Mohammadu Buhari and supported by Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola.”
The State’s Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Osun State, Dr. Amidu Tadese Raheem said the intervention would go a long way to restore the lost glory of the communities in terms of socioeconomic and commercial activities in the affected areas.