The Transmission Company of Nigeria has raised fresh concerns over persistent right-of-way constraints delaying the completion of a critical power transmission project expected to deliver about 624 megawatts of electricity to Abuja and surrounding areas, calling for urgent intervention by the Federal Government.
The warning came on Thursday during an inspection tour of key components of the Abuja Feeding Scheme Project by the Executive Director, Transmission System Provider at TCN, Olugbenga Ajiboye, who said the project was falling far behind expectations largely due to unresolved obstacles along transmission line corridors.
Ajiboye disclosed that although several substations under the project had been completed and were ready for energisation, delays in resolving right-of-way issues in critical locations had stalled power delivery to downstream facilities.
Ajiboye said, “Our general assessment is that we are nowhere near where we expected to be because we are so constrained.
“Especially here, the line route has been constrained, and we are working around the clock to make sure it is freed. Except for here, two of the stations we visited are completed and ready for energisation. But because of the delay we have here, like Wumba, until we get the supply, we cannot get to Wumba. Once this is resolved, Kuje will also get a supply.”
Describing the right-of-way challenge as the single biggest obstacle to the project, Ajiboye lamented resistance from individuals and influential interests along the transmission routes.
“It’s unfortunate that many people are determined that we will not pass where the line is supposed to be. There are even powerful people involved,” he said. “We appeal to people in government to please intervene so that we can go through those routes and be able to get the supply here.”
He explained that the inspection tour was undertaken to gather first-hand information that would enable TCN management to escalate the issue to higher authorities.
“I came down to see this specifically for myself so that I can impress it on my principal and go above, to meet the people in power. I now have the facts and figures to say: I have seen the problem; please let us go to the minister and the presidency to resolve it,” the official added.
Ajiboye disclosed that the Abuja Feeding Scheme Project had reached over 91 per cent completion but stressed that timelines for final delivery could not be determined until the right-of-way bottlenecks were resolved.
“That is a difficult situation until we resolve the right-of-way issue. It is after that we can determine the months it will take to erect the towers and string the lines.”
The project, funded by the French Development Agency, comprises five substations, 143 kilometres of 330kV transmission lines from Lafia in Nasarawa State to Abuja, and 81 kilometres of 132kV lines within the Federal Capital Territory.
It commenced in April 2019 and was originally scheduled for completion in December 2022.
Providing technical insight, the project consultant, Anthony Uuajamah, said the scheme included strategically located substations designed to stabilise and expand Abuja’s power supply.
He said, “The Kuje substation is a 3×60 MVA facility with nine outgoing feeders, while the Wumba substation is a 2×60 MVA facility. In total, we have about 13 by 60 MVA transformers in the central part of the project, which will deliver approximately 624 megawatts of power.”
He added that once completed, the project would significantly improve electricity supply across Abuja and neighbouring communities, provided the right-of-way challenges were urgently addressed.
The Abuja Feeding Scheme is one of several transmission expansion projects aimed at addressing chronic power supply shortages, grid congestion, and load-shedding in the Federal Capital Territory, where demand has continued to outpace available supply.
The project’s delay comes at a time when the Federal Government is pushing for increased generation and grid reliability, including the ongoing 350MW Abuja Independent Power Project being developed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian Independent System Operator described the NNPC Abuja IPP as a vital step toward achieving the national target of 8,500MW of grid generation capacity by the end of 2026, stressing the need for seamless coordination between generation and transmission infrastructure.
