EMMANUEL IFEANYI 
Imo State Commissioner for Power and Electrification, Nze Nwabueze Oguchienti, in this interview with EMMANUEL IFEANYI, explains the ongoing investments by the Imo State Government in upgrading and developing electricity infrastructure in the state
Governor Uzodimma was recently honoured with the Best Infrastructural Governor award, basically on roads but infrastructure is beyond roads. What has he done on electricity?
I will agree with you that electricity is part of infrastructure and if the organisers of the award were even aware of the details of his achievements in the electricity sector of this state, I’m sure they would add more feathers to his cap.
From the road infrastructure, what Governor Uzodimma has achieved is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. Everyone can see it and the world is already celebrating him.
Of course, you know that the electricity and power sector cannot be separated from infrastructure. Take it from me, the award wasn’t a fluke and you’ll realize why I said this as we go on in this interview. The award came on reality. It came on what’s on the ground that everybody can see.
I’m sure that those who come from Aba or Umuahia through the Owerri-MbaiseUmuahia highway will be amazed by what they see currently.
That’s exactly what we set out to achieve in the power sector as well. You’ll recall that the power sector has been domesticated, following the Electricity Act of 2023. We, as a state, have taken over the electricity market.
I must tell you that we have about 10 states that have been granted the regulatory oversight of the electricity market and only a few states today can boast of having investors currently investing in their state since this domestication came to be. Orashi Electricity Company Ltd is an investor. Their presence here is a joint venture.
The firm is working with their technical partners and with us, so it’s a PPP arrangement and they’ve started. For you to properly understand and appreciate where we’re and where we’re going to, I must explain clearly that the power system has three sectors; generation, transmission and distribution. Here in Imo State, the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) has granted access to Orashi.
Having taken over the electricity market, ISERC now has such powers to grant such licenses. Recently, the Imo State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Orashi Electricity to supply and provide reliable and adequate electricity across the 27 local government areas of the state. So, these are milestones.
What’s the electricity network in Imo State like before this administration came on board?
The electricity network in Imo is one of the most underdeveloped in Nigeria. What we have in Imo State as a matter of fact is just a 132KV Transmission Line from running from Alaoji to Owerri.
And the entire Imo State, with 27 local government areas, sadly, were being supplied electricity through just a 132KV Transmission Line from Owerri. How can you guarantee durability when you share power with such a network? You cannot, it’s extremely underdeveloped.
What new impact has the current administration made so far?
Well, our impact was made possible by the new law, so on assuming this position of controlling our own electricity market, we took our destiny in our hands by recognising that it’s important that we deal with the issue of expanding the grid and upgrading the facilities.
This grid expansion and facility upgrade is what Orashi Ltd has already embarked on. Working with its technical partners, Orashi has started the construction of 50 kilometres of 132KV Transmission Line that is moving from Owerri to Orlu. This is a new infrastructure. We never had it before now, which is the reason behind epileptic supply in that area as well.
We’ve been running from Owerri to Orlu on 33kV Line and the rest of Imo State has been on 33KV Line. Right there in Orlu, there’s a project started by Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
They were a few transmission projects that both NDPHC together with Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) across the country. Some of these projects were domiciled here in Imo State.
Orlu is like the commercial hub of Imo State; when this project is completed, what impact will make?
By the completion of that project, those two transformers will be energized. You’ll have power taking over the two 60MVA that’s worth over a hundred megawatts (100MW) of power in Orlu.
So, this is what we shall deliver to Orlu on completion. This is part of what Orashi is also doing. What we’re talking about will not benefit just Orlu urban. We’re talking about improving supply around Orlu and the environs.
When we get down the power into Orlu, we’ll take it to the environs of Orlu. We’re also taking a 33KV Line from Orlu to the Imo State Polytechnic (Imo-Poly) in Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area.
We want to develop our state and create job opportunities for our people and we’re not joking about it
These are part of the phase-1 of the projects we’re doing now to upgrade and develop our electricity transmission and distribution network.
We tied all of these in the MOU we had with Orashi Electricity Company Limited, which we tagged “Light Up Imo Project”. So, from the 33KV that comes from Orlu to Omuma, right there, we’ll install a 15MVA, 33/11KV Transformer, which is an injection substation that’s going to supply both the polytechnic and the communities around that axis.
Is Orashi Ltd making new investments in Owerri as well?
No place is left out. Here in Owerri, Orashi is also doing another 15 kilometres 33KV distribution line from Egbu to New Owerri and we’ll install 7.5MVA Transformer there.
That project we’re doing here in New Owerri is even our pilot scheme because when Orashi finishes that project, it’ll come with a cutting edge. This is because construction and installation will meet international best practice.
The customers that will pay for this will be given smart meters. Part of the problems that the current Discos all over the country have when the privatization was done is that the people who took over the sector never had the capacity and the technical know-how to run power.
The whole thing was more political than developmental. How can you be taking a network without proper study of the network you’re taking? There was deficiency everywhere and shortcomings. They had resources to upgrade them but didn’t.
What the average Nigerian wants is the power and proper billing. Why Discos are having problems with customers today is that they’re billed on estimation despite not being served at all. So, there was little or no investment in the sector. Even when the lines are available, they had a weak network to take it to the consumers and overloaded transformers.
So, what we’re about to showcase in new Owerri through the new investor, Orashi, is to ensure that customers who will benefit from these their lines must be metered. So, if there is no failure with the grid generally, we’re sure that residents of New Owerri will start enjoying 24 hours’ supply from Orashi soon.
To balance it, take us through what you’re also doing in Okigwe area?
Okigwe is part of our project. The whole state is a constituency of the governor. Given the fact that he was overwhelming voted by Imo people, he’ll not leave any part of the state without working there. Okigwe, as I speak with you now, is being touched.
There’s a transmission station that was started in Okigwe, transformers were even put there but unfortunately because of these insecurity issues, all the transformers got vandalized.
These projects were there before we came and we’ve gone back to that place. The governor has done something for transformers to go back to that place and that’s on the way. A 60MVA Mobile Transformer has been approved for Okigwe and soon, it’ll land there. Okigwe is also taking a 132KV Line from Umuahia too.
That line is ready in Okigwe. So, we’ll energize the 60MVA to provide bulk power to Okigwe area. We’ve just finished work at that substation because it was abandoned. After years of vandalization, the place was overgrown with bushes, but my ministry has moved in, cleared the whole place and got the place ready for the arrival of the Mobitra. So soon, the 60MVA Mobitra will take care of Okigwe issues.
Mobitra are very important projects the governor has made possible in the state. As I told you, he’s an infrastructural friendly governor. The man has been nicknamed the road-master and what he’s doing on roads is what he’s doing in the power sector. Recall that recently, a 63MVA,132/33kV Mobitra was brought to Obinze. It deployed over 50MW of power over there.
That is already in place because it came under the presidential power initiative facilitated by the governor. These are bulk powers we’re bringing into Imo State to be able to improve. If you go all over the state to distribute transformers and there’s no power to go into those transformers, it’s as good as waste.
That’s why we’ve decided that upgrading and developing of our electricity transmission and distribution network is the best move first. So, this will give you a picture of may the electricity network in Imo State is like now and will soon be like.
Remember that I said that what we have today as an electricity network in and into Imo State today is the 132kV Line that comes from Alaoji to Owerri. Then, the other line is coming from Umuahia to Okigwe, which has not been energized.
Are there any timeline for these projects considering that your administration will not last forever?
Let me tell you something about our governor; he understands that government must be run like business for it to record success.
You don’t expect any private investment to come into Imo State if there’s no electricity. Any development you’re pursuing without power is a complete waste of time.
He understands this. That’s why I said he is one of the few governors that keyed into the scheme immediately after the law was passed. So, we’re not joking about it.
We want to develop our state and create job opportunities for our people and we’re not joking about it. When we’re done, we believe that all unnecessary issues here tied under joblessness are tackled.
We want to lighten up in Imo and chase darkness away. The governor is serious, but you must realize that power projects are capital intensive. If you don’t get into a joint venture, and have fund coming from partners, it’ll be very difficult for you alone to properly handle it.
So much money is involved, and it requires someone like our governor who knows how to get these investors, get into such agreement with them and get things working.
So, we have a timeline. We’re in a hurry. If we have our way, we want it as soon as possible tomorrow. But there is to be a gestation period for certain things to happen.
