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From Kenneth Udeh, Awka
A coordinated push led by Senator Emmanuel C. Nwachukwu to restore stable electricity across Anambra South is beginning to align with broader transmission upgrades by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), signalling what stakeholders describe as the most structured pathway yet towards resolving the region’s lingering power crisis.
The latest development follows weeks of sustained engagement by the lawmaker with TCN officials, federal authorities, and host communities, particularly regarding the delayed Nnewi Injection Substation.
Those interventions are now dovetailing with TCN’s ongoing grid expansion project in the South-East, reinforcing confidence that both immediate and long-term power challenges in the zone are being simultaneously addressed.
Senator Nwachukwu, who represents the Anambra South Senatorial District, had earlier intensified pressure on relevant agencies to fast-track the completion of the Nnewi substation, describing electricity as “a fundamental driver of development”. His consultations with Engr Donatus Ifeanyi Okonkwo, Assistant General Manager of TCN’s Onitsha Sub-Region, provided critical technical insight into the bottlenecks stalling the project—chiefly Right of Way (RoW) obstructions in Nnobi and unresolved compensation issues.
At the time, TCN confirmed that the Nnewi facility was at an advanced stage and would deliver immediate supply to parts of Ihiala upon energisation. The company also assured the Senator that repairs linked to recent outages were ongoing.
Building on that engagement, Senator Nwachukwu escalated the matter to the federal level, holding high-level talks in Abuja with senior Ministry of Power officials and the Transmission Service Provider. That meeting yielded a decisive breakthrough, with authorities confirming the remobilisation of the project contractor and the deployment of necessary equipment to accelerate completion.
The Senator subsequently moved to resolve the most critical impediment: the RoW dispute by engaging His Royal Majesty, Igwe (Engr) Nick Obi of Nnobi. The intervention secured royal backing and community cooperation, effectively clearing the final social and administrative hurdles delaying the project.
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That sequence of interventions is now being reinforced by TCN’s parallel execution of a major transmission upgrade: the reconstruction of the 138-kilometre Alaoji–Onitsha 330kV line in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The project will convert the existing single-circuit line into a double-circuit quad-conductor system, multiplying transmission capacity across the South-East.
According to TCN’s project implementation team, compensation has already been paid to affected communities across Abia and Imo states under a Resettlement Action Plan, with beneficiaries given a defined timeline to vacate the transmission corridor. Officials say the upgrade will increase bulk power delivery by up to four times, significantly strengthening the grid that feeds Anambra and neighbouring states.
According to analysts who spoke to The Sun, the convergence of Senator Nwachukwu’s targeted constituency-level interventions—particularly on the Nnewi substation—and TCN’s regional grid expansion represents a layered approach to power restoration: resolving distribution bottlenecks while simultaneously enhancing transmission capacity.
For residents of Nnewi, Ihiala, and Umuchu, the implications are immediate. Once the substation is energised, supply gaps caused by infrastructure limitations are expected to ease, while the upgraded transmission backbone will improve overall stability and reduce system strain.
Reaffirming his commitment, Senator Nwachukwu said the combined efforts mark a turning point for the district.
“Together, we will achieve this maka oganiru Anambra South,” he declared.
With contractor activity resuming on-site and transmission upgrades progressing on schedule, stakeholders say the region is closer than it has been in years to achieving a reliable and sustainable electricity supply.
