Nigeria to get 170m Euros AFD grant for transmission networks

The Federal Government at the weekend in Abuja said it was working with the Agence Française de Dévelopement (AFD) to secure a grant of 170 million Euros for the building of transmission networks in Abuja area.

AFD is the French Development Agency that participates in promoting and financing development throughout the world.

Godknows Igali, permanent secretary, Ministry of Power, disclosed this at the inauguration of a 9-member steering committee for enhancing vocational training delivery for the power sector, and urged all agencies of government to move towards strategic partnership with international organisations for funding.

“Agencies of government must not wait for funding from government alone,’’ he said, describing the occasion as significant to the power sector, especially as it was moving from public to private driven.

Earlier, Rueben Okeke, director-general, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), said the essence of the committee was to ensure an efficient workforce for the sector, saying the committee was critical to the sustenance of the power sector.

In a remark, Celine Gratadour, head of projects, AFD, said Nigeria’s huge power sector required adequate technical capacity to effectively man the sector, saying the agency was in Nigeria to get a feedback on the sector from NAPTIN.

On her part, Alexandra Oldford, consultant, CPCS Transcom Limited, said the primary objective of the project was to develop new strategic plan for NAPTIN. CPCS is an international infrastructure development firm specialising in private sector participation in transport, energy, and urban development sectors.

She said the committee was expected to guide the project with clear direction and as well as act as the decision making body for the project, among others.

The committee has a member each from the ministries of finance and power, National Planning Commission, Bureau of Public Enterprise, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Others are Transmission Company of Nigeria, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, NAPTIN, and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company.