Kwara Community Gets Electricity Infrastructure Boost

The Oro community in Southern Kwara, Central Nigeria has benefitted from an electricity infrastructure boost.

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the installation of a 1 x 60MVA Transmission substation in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, with a call on the community to take ownership of the facility during and after construction.

Speaking at the occasion on Thursday, Alhaji Mohammed, who was accompanied by the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Engr. Sule Abdulazeez, the Council of traditional chiefs and some APC stalwarts in the state, said the project would lead to an improved power supply to Oro and its environs, boost economic activities, especially for artisans and small and medium-scale businesses, and enhance the social development of the people.

He, therefore, implored the people of the community to ensure peace and security in order to enable the contractor to deliver the project within the stipulated time.

“Of course, our support must not be for this project alone. We must continue to own and protect similar recent projects in this area, including the tarred intra-city roads at Oro, the ICT Centres at Oro Grammar School and Offa Grammar School, as well as the modern hospitals at Oro and Igbaja. These projects, which are dividends of democracy, are aimed at enhancing the quality of life of our people.

”I want to say that there are more where these projects came from. Therefore, I implore you all to continue to support our party at all levels so that we can in turn continue to deliver to you the dividends of democracy. This is the essence of governance,” the Minister said.

He said the project is worth $8 million, with N3 billion in local content.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of TCN, Engr. Abdulazeez, said the project is one of those aimed at achieving reliable and quick bulk electricity for the Distribution Companies. He said Oro currently depends on the Isanlu Feeder Supplies of 8MW of electricity to 11 surrounding communities, stressing that the situation would change as soon as the transmission station comes on stream.

Dignitaries at the occasion include the Chairman of the Board of the NBC, Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Mohammed Abioye, and Chairman Governing Board, Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Akogun Oyeyipo among others.

Olusola Akintonde