The power we are selling to four countries is the power that is not needed in Nigeria – FG

Acting Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Chairman, Executive Board of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz has announced that Nigeria is in talks with four West African countries to sell unused Electricity to them through a planned $570 million Northcore Power Transmission Line.

Daily Trust had reported that about 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity are unutilised daily across the Generation Companies (GenCos) in Nigeria and could be exported.

Abdulaziz said Nigeria is expecting new generators to participate in the energy export for the 875 kilometre 330 kilovolts Northcore transmission line from Nigeria through Niger, Togo, Benin to Burkina Faso.

The project which is funded by World Bank, French Development Council and the African Development Bank, has recorded progress. The energy ministers will be addressing security issues for the project at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday June 10. 

Abdulaziz said; 

“The power we will be selling is the power that is not needed in Nigeria. These generators that are going to supply power to this transmission line are going to generate that power specifically for this project. So it is unutilised power.

“In addition, there are some communities that are under the line route, about 611 of them which will be getting power so that there won’t be just a transmission line passing without impact. 

“Nigeria has the greatest advantage among these countries because the electricity is going to be exported from Nigerian GenCos. So from that, the revenue is going to be enhanced and a lot of people will be employed in Nigeria.”