Tegbe Commissions Transformer Projects in Four Lagos Substations, Adds 840MVA Capacity
Leonard Oru
The Minister of Power, Engr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has commissioned major transformer projects across four transmission substations in Lagos State, adding significant capacity to the national transmission network and strengthening bulk electricity supply to businesses, industries and households.
The projects, commissioned on August 17 and 18, 2026, comprise a 2x60MVA Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Apapa, two 100MVA transformers at Ijora, a 100MVA transformer at Alausa and a 300MVA transformer alongside two 60MVA transformers at the Lekki Transmission Substation.
According to the Ministry of Power, the projects collectively provide 840MVA of new transformer capacity, improving the quantum of bulk electricity that can be transmitted to the Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company networks for onward distribution to consumers.
Commissioning the projects, Tegbe said the investments represented more than the installation of new equipment, describing them as strategic interventions designed to create capacity for businesses to grow, industries to produce and communities to prosper.
At the Lekki Transmission Substation, the Minister said the upgrade had effectively doubled the substation’s capacity at the 330/132kV level from 300MVA to 600MVA, equivalent to approximately 480MW.
Capacity at the 132/33kV level also increased from 120MVA to 240MVA, equivalent to approximately 192MW.
The Lekki project further delivered nine new 33kV feeders to facilitate the evacuation of additional bulk power into the Eko Electricity Distribution Company network.
Tegbe said the intervention was particularly important because Lekki is one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industrial and commercial corridors, attracting increasing domestic and international investment.
He stressed that electricity infrastructure must keep pace with economic expansion, noting that the additional capacity would improve the reliability and availability of bulk power supplied to industries, businesses and households in Lekki and adjoining areas.
At the Alausa Transmission Substation, the Minister commissioned a new 100MVA, 132/33kV transformer. The project increased the substation’s total transformation capacity from 135MVA to 205MVA, equivalent to approximately 164MW, while increasing bulk power available to Ikeja Electric by about 80MW.
Tegbe described the Alausa intervention as part of efforts to strengthen strategic locations that support government institutions, industries, factories, markets and other economic activities.
The Minister said the Lekki and Alausa projects reflected the Federal Government’s policy of directing electricity infrastructure towards areas where increased power supply can unlock production, investment, employment and economic value.
Earlier, on August 17, two 60MVA GIS transformers were commissioned at the Apapa Transmission Substation.
The project, delivered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Official Development Assistance programme, includes modern gas-insulated switchgear, protection and control systems, substation automation and SCADA infrastructure.
The Apapa project is expected to increase bulk power availability in the axis by approximately 96MW, benefiting areas including Apapa Causeway, Ijora, Amukoko, Ajegunle, Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island.
Also commissioned on August 17 was the upgrade of the Ijora Transmission Substation, where two existing 30MVA transformers were replaced with two modern 100MVA, 132/33kV transformers.
The intervention increased the substation’s installed capacity from 90MVA to 230MVA, equivalent to approximately 184MW, providing an additional 112MW of transmission capacity.
The increased capacity is expected to improve bulk electricity supply to Ijora, Costain, Oyingbo, Customs and adjoining communities within the Eko Electricity Distribution Company franchise area.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, said the projects would significantly strengthen power transmission in Lagos State.
Abdulaziz said the Apapa upgrade would increase the volume of bulk power available to EKEDC and improve electricity supply to major commercial and industrial areas.
At Alausa, he said the project, executed by Shanghai Electric Ltd under a World Bank-funded initiative, would provide more stable and reliable electricity to about 70,000 residents in Alausa and adjoining areas through Ikeja Electric.
He added that the projects demonstrated TCN’s commitment to modernising Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure, reducing technical losses and developing a network capable of meeting growing electricity demand.
Abdulaziz appealed for additional grant support for other critical transmission projects nationwide, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Power, Lagos State Government, JICA, the World Bank, contractors, TCN engineers and other stakeholders for their contributions.
The Minister said the Lagos projects were part of a broader nationwide strategy to identify transmission bottlenecks, expand substations, rehabilitate ageing infrastructure and strengthen electricity corridors with significant economic potential.
He said the Federal Government’s ambition was to build a power system in which electricity serves not only as a social service but also as a foundation for industrial competitiveness, investment and sustainable economic growth.
The TCN said similar transmission projects completed across other states would be commissioned in due course as part of ongoing efforts to expand and modernise Nigeria’s national transmission network.
