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The Federal Government has begun the construction of a 132 kilovolts transmission line, 2 X 60MVA transmission substations, and a switching station in Ekiti State to raise the state's electricity capacity by 204 megawatts (MW).

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in Ado-Ekiti on 10 August 2022, said the project consists of a 50-kilometre stretch of 132kV transmission line from Ikere, with a turn in – turn out at Ijesa Isu, terminating at Ilupeju Ekiti.

The project also has a 2 X 60MVA, 132/33kV transmission substation with four-line bays at Ijesa Isu, with a switching station at Ikere, in the state.

Mr. Aliyu who was represented by the Managing Director and CEO of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Sule Abdulaziz, said: "For TCN, this is a very strategic project, and we believe it will have a massive impact on bulk power transmission in Ekiti and environs.  

"The projects are part of the many projects being undertaken by the Transmission Company of Nigeria in pursuit of its grid expansion programme which is in line with Mr. President’s mandate for the expansion of the Power Sector for sustainable development," said Aliyu, adding that “… in various transmission regions nationwide, TCN is equally executing substations and lines projects which are all at various stages of execution.”  

The additional 204MW capacity to the grid means that more bulk supply will be readily available for offtake by Benin DisCo – the power distribution company covering the state – for its customers in Ekiti and environs.

The substations project will also take care of suppressed load in the axis and relieve the Ado-Ekiti substation, which has been overburdened, to ensure a more reliable electricity supply to the people of Ekiti, said Aliyu.

On the rampant power asset vandalism in the state and around the country, the minister said: "We must demonstrate our collective responsibility toward preserving the nation’s power equipment in and around our communities so that the Government can concentrate on its grid expansion initiative instead of wasting funds replacing vandalized power infrastructure."

In his remarks, the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by his deputy, while commending the efforts of the Federal Government to improve the infrastructure in the state, lamented that the entire Ekiti State received only a pitiable 26MW of electricity from the national grid.

"This level of electricity supply is worrisome and grossly inadequate going by the energy need of our population, estimated to be around 150 megawatts in 2014. Beyond this intolerable level, the quality of the electricity supply is grossly below standard due to non-availability of adequate 132/33KV transmission line and the associated equipment that can help improve the quality of power to be delivered to our people, especially those in the interior and the rural areas," said Fayemi.

He, however, added that the project when completed will complement the plans of the Ekiti State Government at improving the quality of electricity supply to the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.