By Etuka Sunday
The Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Usman Gur Mohammed has hinted that World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the French development agency would finance the building of North Core Transmission line from Nigeria to Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Mohammed who gave the hint at the Meeting of Stakeholders of West African Power Firms in Abuja said, the line would run from Birnin Kebbi in Nigeria to the border and from Niamey in Niger, it will also tee off to go to Benin and from Niamey, it will move to Burkina Faso.
According to him, the component of the AfDB is concentrated on the side of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Niamey in Niger. That component have been already approved by the board of AfDB and the agreements signed with those countries.
He said, “the component that concerns Nigeria is about 62 kilometres from Birnin Kebbi to the border and we are discussing with World Bank to finance it. All the studies for it have been carried out including the Environmental disclosure.
“For us to be able to supply energy on that line, we also have to build a 330kV double circuit line from Kainji hydropower plant to Birnin Kebbi which is part of the Northern corridor project of TCN.
“We have done the feasibility study and what AfDB is waiting is the validation of the feasibility study which have hired a consultant to do hat. We are at the final stage of completing the procurement of that contract.,” he said.
Speaking on the amount, he said, “the funding on the side of the project that concerns Nigeria is only $29 million for about 62 kilometres of the transmission line from Birnin Kebbi to the border of Nigeria with Niger.
“I don’t have the total funding cost for the other countries but the distance of the entire transmission lines is about 700 kilometres. So it is a long distance transmission line,” he said.
Also speaking on the progress so far made by the West African Power Pool (WAPP) on the southern backbone transmission project, he said, “the southern backbone project is a separate project that is under preparation. We are doing the environmental impact assessment which is supported by the AfDB.
“Once the study is completed, we will start looking for the financing. The grant given is $3 million and is equal to the amount to pay for the study. They are paying for the contract we entered with the consultant.
The TCN boss said, “the northern corridor transmission line project will have the headquarters situated in Nigeria. This is also part of what we are doing to ensure that Nigeria takes its position rightfully in regional electricity market.”
