Nation
Gwagwalada Gas Power Plant To Add 5GW To National Grid-NNPCL
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) says the Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant (GIPP) project is a giant step toward achieving its gas and power mandate to add five Gigawatts into the National power generation by 2024.
Group CEO, NNPC Ltd., Malam Mele Kyari, made this known on Friday in Gwagwalada, Abuja, at the presidential groundbreaking of the 350 Megawatts (MW) Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant (GIPP) project.
The Tide source reports that the groundbreaking was performed by President Bola Tinubu in the company of other top government dignitaries.
The gas plant is a 1,350MW Combined Cycle Power Plant with auxiliaries and Balance of Plant to be situated on 547 hectares of land already acquired at Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The GIPP was necessitated by the need for delivering gas toward additional power generation capacity in Nigeria.
The gas supply to the plant shall be through the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline which is currently at its advanced stage of construction.
On completion, the GIPP Project will generate an average of 10.3 million Megawatts hour (MWh) of electricity per year for sale to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET).
Kyari said the 350MW project was the first phase of the planned capacity of 1,350MW Gwagwalada Independent Power Plant.
According to him, Nigeria is endowed with significant natural gas resources of over 209TCF of proven gas reserves, and potential reserve of over 600TCF.
He said as a commercial enterprise, NNPC took the project as an opportunity to monetise Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, by expanding access to energy to support economic growth, industrialisation, and job creation nationwide.
To achieve this national aspiration, he said, the NNPC had invested heavily in domestic gas footprint expansion projects through the delivery of the Trans-Nigeria Pipeline Project.
This, he said, included the Escravos to Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS & ELPS Il), the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (0B3) gas pipeline and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.
“Currently NNPC and partners are delivering about 800MW to the national grid from Afam VI and Okpai Phase One thermal power plants with combined installed capacity of 1,100MW.
“We have also completed Okpai Phase Two project that will add up to 320MW of power to the national grid and progressing with other power plant projects across the country including those along the AKK pipeline route.
“The Gwagwalada IPP is among the NNPC flagship power projects along the AKK corridor. This is part of the 3,600MW cumulative power capacity which includes Kaduna IPP (900MW) and Kano IPP (1,350MW)”, he said.
He said the project would be delivered in collaboration with General Electric as the Original Equipment Manufacturer and China Machinery and Engineering Corporation as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor.
He said just as NNPC had recently inaugurated the 50MW Maiduguri Emergency Power plant, it would continue to replicate similar viable business opportunities across the Nation to ensure energy affordability.
He, however, aknowledged the support of stakeholders including the Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc , Transmission Company of Nigeria, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company and Gwagwalada host community.
He assured that expanding access to energy would change the game, create a better investment climate and promote balanced economic growth, a win-win situation for the nation and for NNPC as a commercial energy company.
Kyari also acknowledged the progressive policy direction of Tinubu’s led administration to renew hope and reposition the Nigerian economy.
“The esteemed presence of Your Excellency at this event is a demonstration of your commitment and support to improve the nation’s power generation capacity to spur economic growth for our country, and for this, we are indeed grateful”, he said.
Nation
Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
Nation
Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
Nation
South East Caucus Kicks As Senate Rejects Nwosu’s Immortalisation
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
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