Right of Way encroachment delaying $137m power projects — Aliyu
An average of 32 power projects scheduled across multiple states have been unnecessarily delayed because of gaps in the implementation of the Right of Way, RoW resolutions.
Minister of Power Abubakar Aliyu, said the projects account for an investment of $137 million that the Nigerian public is yet to realise value from, due to the RoW issues.
The Federal Government committed to improving the electricity situation in the country is imploring the State governments to remove the RoW barriers in order to mitigate power shortages.
RoW is a legal instrument allowing operators to deploy infrastructure on federal or state roads, power transmission lines or railways at a fee. Unfortunately, these same fees are not fixed and it varies from state to state, region to region, agency to agency. The removal of the RoW barriers could fast-track the expansion and strengthening of the national power grid.
Aliyu said that the removal of RoW barriers will assist in avoiding some of the recent disruptions in power supply in the country, adding that some power projects which account for investment worth $137 million have been stalled.
The Minister stressed the need for urgent attention on the issue of state government’s approval on ROW, which he said had hampered transmission projects meant to strengthen and expand the grid for better supply of electricity in the country.
The need to ramp up transmission infrastructure becomes even more important on the back of the recent delivery and imminent delivery of some independent power projects across the country.
