…Buhari to lay foundation laying stone September 22
By Mohammed Mohammed
In line with Nigeria’s industrialization drive and economic diversification by the Federal Government through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) will next month (September) carry out the ground-breaking and foundation laying ceremony towards establishment of a world class transformer production plant in Nigeria.
This is the first of its kind in Nigeria and second in Africa, EXTRAORDINAIRE online news was reliably informed.
A visit to Nigeria, followed up with official meeting with the management of NASENI by the Chinese team took place on Thursday in Abuja with the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna on ground to receive the Chinese technical partner at the NASENI corporate Headquarters.
In a release sent to the media on behalf of the EVC, Mr. Segun Ayeoyenikan, Spokesperson for the agency, said the visit was hinged at putting finishing touches in preparation for meeting September 2022 deadline for the commencement of work on the project as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, who doubles as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Agency.
The leader of the delegation and Chairman Chinese Liaoning Huaye Group Development Ltd, Anshan, Ma Liming disclosed during the working visit to NASENI that Nigeria and China had a long lasting relationship which led to the signing of the agreement on building of the first transformer manufacturing plant in Nigeria, adding that, the partnership also resulted in the training of Sixty (60) NASENI engineers on transformer production line and high voltage testing laboratory plant.
The third component of the project is the establishment of a solar cell manufacturing plant in Nigeria aimed at popularizing renewable energy in the country.
According to Prof. Haruna: “NASENI and China would continue to work together to ensure the attainment of the industrialization agenda of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which the three projects have as targets to be kick-started with the building of a first class transformer plant in Africa to be located in Nigeria.
“We will work together as good partners to ensure that Nigeria has the best transformer plant in Africa, he said.
In his welcome address, Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna who conceived the ideas of the projects went down memory lane on the relationship between NASENI and China which culminated into the establishment of the transformer plant in Nigeria. He said the agreement was first signed in 2013 between the Federal Government and People’s Republic of China, but due to some technicalities, the project could not take off.
He disclosed that President Buhari had given a fresh directive concerning the three projects which, according to him, must take off next month (September 2022).
He also disclosed that more than 50% of the 15 percent counterpart fund to be paid by the Federal Government on the establishment of transformer plant in Nigeria has been fulfilled and the ground-breaking and foundation laying ceremony of the project will be done by the President in September, 2022.
He said this particular round of visit by the Chinese technical partner to Nigeria was to ensure that all the finishing touches on the commencement of construction work about the projects are done with for effective take-off in September.
According to Haruna, for any nation to offer permanent solutions to the issue of power supply, it must have its own High Voltage testing laboratory, which is what this project is expected to achieve for Nigeria, adding that, “NASENI had already trained since 2019 about 60 Engineers in these areas to ensure that when the plant effectively take off, it will be the best and will be run by trained Nigerian engineers and scientists”
“For any nation to have a steady power supply, it must have these three important projects, Solar cell production plant, High Voltage Testing Laboratory and Transformer Production Line. You cannot have a permanent and steady power supplies when you import all the components of electricity as currently obtained in Nigeria. He said.
He said NASENI is deliberately driving the project now in line with its mandate to provide capital goods and equipment including machinery in order to offer a solid foundation for the industrial development of the country. “We are in this for the purpose of ensuring that Nigeria becomes one of the countries in the world with steady power supply which is an essential foundation for a genuine industrialization dream by the country” he stressed.
Haruna, also said that due to the importance which NASENI placed on solar energy, 98 NASENI engineers will soon be trained on Solar Cell Modular production in China. “The Engineers will leave by September this year. If we have the Solar Cell production plant in Nigeria, we will have steady light and even transmit to other African countries. The benefits of having local Solar Cell Manufacturing plant in the country are enormous”, said Haruna.
SIGNED: Mr.Olusegun Ayeoyenikan
Deputy Director, Information
NASENI.