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From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved the allocation of 145 hectares of land to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the construction of a solar power plant, describing the project as a potential solution to the state’s persistent electricity supply challenges.
The governor also waived a N10 million payment expected from the company to facilitate the project’s commencement, while pledging the state government’s support for the resumption of oil exploration activities in Borno.
Zulum announced the measures when the board and management of NNPCL, led by its chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Maiduguri yesterday.
He said electricity supply to the state from the national grid and the Maiduguri Emergency Gas Plant was inadequate for its long-term energy needs, stressing the importance of completing the proposed solar facility without unnecessary delays.
“This will be a game changer because what we have now is not sustainable,” the governor declared.
Zulum said the state government had approved the release of 145 hectares for the project and directed the Commissioner for Works to grant NNPCL a waiver of the N10 million fee that would ordinarily have been paid to the government.
He explained that the decision was intended to remove administrative and financial obstacles that could delay the project, urging the company to commence construction and ensure its timely completion.
The governor also welcomed NNPCL’s plans to resume oil exploration in the state, assuring the company that his administration would work with security agencies to protect personnel, equipment and exploration sites.
He disputed suggestions that insecurity was responsible for the suspension of exploration activities, noting that substantial security arrangements had been made at the sites before operations were halted.
“I assure you of the government readiness to provide security for the continuation of the exploration,” Zulum said.
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He expressed surprise that work had been suspended despite the security deployment, maintaining that the state government was prepared to collaborate with NNPCL to facilitate the resumption of activities.
Zulum commended the company’s interventions in Borno and reiterated his administration’s willingness to support investments capable of improving electricity supply, expanding economic opportunities and strengthening the state’s energy infrastructure.
Earlier, NNPCL Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, said the visit was intended to strengthen relations with the state government and brief the governor on the company’s ongoing and proposed investments in Borno.
Kida said NNPCL was committed to operating as a commercially driven company while fulfilling its responsibilities to Nigerians.
“In NNPC, we do believe we are holding forth for the Nigerian people. NNPC has become what it ought to be, that is truly a limited liability company,” he said.
He identified upstream expansion, the resumption of oil prospecting, gas development and renewable energy projects as major areas of the company’s planned activities in the state.
The chairman disclosed that NNPCL intended to resume oil prospecting soon and would work closely with security agencies and host communities to ensure that exploration activities proceeded smoothly.
He stressed the importance of community participation and ownership in the exploration programme, saying the company would engage relevant stakeholders as it prepared to return to the sites.
Kida thanked Zulum for approving the 145 hectares required for the solar power plant, describing the gesture as an important contribution towards the project’s implementation.
The proposed solar facility forms part of NNPCL’s renewable energy investments, while the planned resumption of oil prospecting is expected to revive exploration activities in Borno.
