The Federal Government has commissioned upgraded transmission facilities at four major substations in Lagos, adding about 360 megawatts (MW) of bulk power capacity to strengthen electricity supply across the state.

The projects at Ijora, Apapa Road, Alausa, and Lekki are expected to improve the delivery of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers within the networks of Eko, and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies.

Speaking during the commissioning, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said the upgrades were aimed at removing transmission bottlenecks and improving the reliability of electricity supply. He explained that strengthening transmission infrastructure would allow more available power to be moved to areas where it is needed.

At the Ijora substation, two new 100MVA transformers increased installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, adding approximately 112MW of bulk transmission capacity. The Apapa Road substation received two 60MVA transformers and modern gas-insulated switchgear, increasing its capacity from 60MVA to 180MVA and adding about 96MW.

The Alausa and Lekki projects contributed a further 272MW. At Alausa, a new 100MVA transformer increased the station’s capacity and added about 80MW of bulk power available to Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company. At Lekki, two additional 60MVA transformers and nine new 33kV feeders doubled the substation’s 132/33kV capacity from 120MVA to 240MVA, adding approximately 192MW.

The upgrades are part of wider efforts to address ageing infrastructure and transmission constraints that have limited the amount of electricity that can be reliably delivered to consumers.

For Lagos, where electricity demand continues to grow across residential areas, businesses and major industrial centres, the additional transmission capacity could help reduce pressure on existing infrastructure and improve the movement of available electricity across the network.

The projects also highlight a critical issue in Nigeria’s power sector: generating electricity is only one part of the equation. The country also needs enough transmission and distribution capacity to move that electricity efficiently to the people and businesses that need it.

The Federal Government says it plans to continue upgrading transmission infrastructure across the country as it works towards increasing the amount of electricity that can be reliably delivered through the national grid.