The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), says its in-house engineers have taken over construction of sub-stations, repairs and installations of new transformers across the country.
The Managing Director of TCN, Mr Usman-Gur Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with Daybreak.ng in Abuja.
Mohammed said the projects were being executed with 10 per cent of the initial contract sum.
He said the reduction in the cost of the projects previously executed by contractors had saved significant amount of funds for Nigeria.
“The TCN engineers do these installations at the rate of 10 per cent of the fund that was previously spent on contractors.
“So, we decided to empower them directly to do it themselves and we are achieving a lot of results.
“We also support contractors that are doing well, and sometimes help them complete their project and also pay whatever we owe them.
“That is how we were able to complete Kukwaba here in Abuja, Katsina, Damaturu, Wudil and Daura sub-stations.
“We have also installed more than 40 transformers nationwide, upgraded and strung new 132KV transmission lines among others, we have also built new substations, all these have culminated into increased capacity.’’
Mohammed said since he assumed office in Feb. 2017, TCN engineers had been assigned the task of installing transformers and re-conducting transmission lines without contractor involvement in any way.
He said that the company had been able to not only increase in capacity but also continues to grow in confidence and ability to carry out any kind of sub-station and transmission lines project.
“The engineers on their part have dared to go where men fear to tread from Damaturu to Molai, to Yauri to Nguru, these are areas known for insurgency.
“They have not only built sub-stations but have equally strung the transmission lines through dangerous paths and forests.
“In fact, insurgency has not deterred these patriotic selfless engineers, as they strive to extend electricity to remote areas to engender development.’’
According to the managing director, TCN engineers in February for the first time in Nigeria completed a 132/33KV transmission sub-station on Ilashe Island in Lagos State.
“It was entirely done by TCN engineers, I can tell you they did that job at the rate of 10 per cent of what we normally pay contractors.
“Also interesting is the fact that the serene Ilashe community could not have dreamt of electricity from the grid ordinarily, talk less of having their own substation which would invariably ensure quality supply to the riverine community.
The acting General Manager, Transformer and Reactor, Mr Umar Adamu told NAN that TCN engineers had every capacity required to deliver transmission projects in the country.
Adamu, who had been actively involved in construction of most of the projects, said that TCN engineers had every capacity you could think of, from civil, mechanical, electrical engineering and others.
“When you meet a TCN engineer, he can tell you everything on CT transformer, circuit breaker, so the foreign manufacturers are always surprised.
“What we just need is the support of government in what we are doing, just as the present management of TCN is giving us free hand to perform our duties,’’ Adamu said.
