FG’s transformer manufacturing plant in Kogi set to begin operations

as NASENI, China Great Wall finalise agreement worth N4bn

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure’s (NASENI) memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese Great Wall Corporation on the establishment of transformer manufacturing plant kicked off on Wednesday in Abuja.

Recall, the Federal Government and Chinese Great Wall Corporation through the NASENI, have in 2013 signed a MoU to establish a local transformer manufacturing plant in Okene, Kogi State, permanent site of the Power Equipment and Electrical Machinery Development Institute (PEEMADI), which is one of NASENI development institutes.

The consummation of the MoU is expected to assist Nigeria’s fledgling power sector, and open up channels to attract Foreign Direct Investment inflow into the country, Mohammed Haruna, the executive vice chairman of NASENI, said.

The joint Nigeria-Chinese project on transformer manufacturing plant is valued at $170 million (N4bn).

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja when he led a team of officials of Chinese Great Wall Corporation, China Railway Corporation, Huaye Group and Bank of China for a facility tour of NASENI headquarters, Chinese Great Wall Corporation spokesperson Ao Pei Yong said the Nigeria project when completed would be the second largest transformer producing plant in Africa.

According to Ao Pei Yong, the visit is basically to achieve two things: the process of setting up the transformer manufacturing plant and the initiation of China Railway project manufacturing processes in the country, and to ensure that the harmonisation of government regulations and policies on all related issues were carried out.

“We guarantee to establish everything on transformer and transformer making machines in this collaboration, and promised that we will work together to achieve everything as specified in the MoU,” he said.

The transformer-manufacturing project covers electric power and distribution, power transformer as well as high voltage testing laboratory, Ao Pei Yong said on the overview of the MoU. “Once this project is completed, Nigeria will have the capacity to achieve a Nigeria brand of transformer not only for self-sufficiency but the country can export to other parts of Africa,” he said.

In his remarks, Mohammed Sani Haruna, the NASENI boss, said Nigeria cannot continue to assemble only the power modules but must upgrade to local production to provide efficient power supply services for the nation.

He said despite the delay on the part of Nigeria after the signing of MoU in 2013, the Chinese government had been patient to assist in reviewing the facilities offered to Nigeria in respect of the project.

The NASENI boss said he was optimistic that the project would not only assist in generating steady power supply but also enlist Nigeria as one of the few countries in the world that had transformer manufacturing plant, noting that Nigeria would have been the first African country to build such magnificent transformer manufacturing plant, except Ethiopia.