The Federal Government said it plans to partner with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) towards the implementation of its power transmission and expansion programme.
This is contained in a statement by the Assistant Director, Press, Ministry of Power, Mr. Odutayo Oluseyi, on Tuesday night in Abuja.
Olusegun qouted the Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, speaking when he received a delegation from JICA in his office in Abuja.
Aliyu said the programme was aimed at expanding the power transmission network to support the rapid expanding industries in Lagos and Ogun states.
He assured JICA of President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to ensure that best practices were applied particularly to infrastructure development in the electricity supply industry in Nigeria.
The minister said the transmission was a major stake of government which was targeted at raising operational capacity to an appreciable level particularly at areas where industries were rapidly expanding.
He said consultancy services for line route studies, environmental and social impact assessment, environmental social management plan for the proposed JICA transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun states had been completed.
Aliyu said the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme would be carried out by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
“Environmental social management plan for the proposed JICA transmission projects in Lagos and Ogun states are reflected in the 2021/ 2022 appropriation of the ministry,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Senior Representative, JICA, Nigeria office and team leader, Mr Sasaki Taigo, had said that their mission was to confirm the content of the loan agreement.
Taigo said the team was also in the ministry to confirm the Memorandum of Understanding on the Lagos and Ogun power transmission system improvement project with relevant Ministries and implementation agencies among others.
He said JICA would meet with relevant authorities with the aim of having the loan agreement signed in March.
