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.
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