President Muhammadu Buhari is set to visit Maiduguri, the Borno State capital this Thursday to inaugurate a new 50 megawatt Maiduguri Gas Power Plant.
The gas plant, which was built by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), would supply 50 megawatts of electricity to Maiduguri and environs.
The State capital has suffered untold hardship due to power failure resulting from destruction of power installations feeding the city over a year ago by Boko Haram terrorists.
Thus, the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP) is a power generation project aimed at providing reliable and sustainable electricity to Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State.
The project was necessitated by the extended power outages experienced in the region in the last nine years. These outages were caused by vandalism and insurgency attacks on power supply infrastructure and had resulted in decline in economic activities in the region.
Two major incidences of such unfortunate attacks were the destruction of three towers of electricity power lines along Damaturu/Maiduguri Road by insurgents on January 25 and March 27, 2021.
In a bid to find a lasting solution to this challenge and improve the quality of life in the area, President Buhari intervened in April 2021, directing the Management of NNPC Ltd to restore power supply to the city of Maiduguri and its environs. To achieve this mandate, the NNPC Limited, following engagements with the Borno State Government, therefore, embarked on building a 50-Megawatt gas-fired power plant in Maiduguri.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The power generation project was aimed at providing reliable and sustainable electricity to the city of Maiduguri, and its environs. It is also expected to improve economic activities within the area and will be a significant addition to the many initiatives aimed at ensuring domestic gas utilisation.
Some key milestones in the MEP Project included the historic groundbreaking ceremony for the project on September 30, 2021 and the issuance of a 50mw power generating licence to the NNPC Limited by the Ministry of Power, under the leadership of Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu on November 25, 2022
Also, the President, during the visit will meet and condole with victims of Maiduguri Monday Market fire disaster.
Maiduguri Monday market was on Sunday struck by a fire outbreak, burning down the entire market. Shops and goods worth billions of naira were destroyed.
The President had prior to the visit extended his deepest sympathy to the victims of the Maiduguri market fire incident and assured those who suffered losses from the fire incident that the Federal Government would do all within its powers to support the efforts of the Borno State government to ameliorate their plight.
He will as well commission some projects such as road networks constructed by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, at Bolori Layout area, Ahmadu Bello Way Road, among others, during the visit.
