Maiduguri, Feb. 23, 2025 – An international company has proposed to construct a 50-megawatt (MW) gas power plant in Auno, a suburb of Maiduguri, to enhance electricity supply in Borno State.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The General Manager of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board, Mr. Shettima Bukar, disclosed this in an interview, stating that the proposed project aligns with the state government’s ongoing recovery efforts to restore electricity to affected communities.
According to Bukar, the project is still in the design stage, and cost estimates will be made available once administrative processes are completed.
“This is a proposal from a foreign firm to generate 50 MW of electricity. We have already allocated a site along Maiduguri-Auno Road, and the company has selected the location,” he said.
Borno’s Rural Electrification Efforts
Bukar highlighted that the state government has made significant progress in electrifying local government headquarters and rural communities across the three senatorial districts.
• Southern Borno: Several towns, including Balbaya, Tsangayari, Chongom, Limanti, and Kuba, have received electricity through inter-town connections.
• Northern Borno: Areas such as Mafa and Dikwa have benefited from new electrification projects, while plans are underway to extend power supply from Dikwa to Gamboru Ngala.
• Central Borno: Projects such as the Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama Inter-Town Connection have been completed, while pole installations are ongoing for the Bama-Gwoza power expansion (82 km).
Challenges and Ongoing Plans
Despite these efforts, some areas remain without electricity due to security concerns, particularly in Malam Fatori, Guzamala, Kukawa, and Mobbar. However, Bukar assured that these communities are included in the state’s 2025 budget proposals for electrification.
The state government has also allocated over N300 million to refurbish transformers and maintain substations across the state.
Maiduguri’s Power Deficit and the Need for Additional Plants
The 52-MW Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP), commissioned under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is currently generating only 32 MW, with an average daily capacity of 14.2 MW as of December 2024. The MEPP faces operational tariff challenges, receiving 6.2USc/kWh from NBET, while the actual cost is 15.88USc/kWh for an average 41-MW combined cycle power plant.
The MEPP was initially built to address recurring power outages caused by insurgent attacks and vandalism of power infrastructure. However, Borno State still faces severe electricity shortages, necessitating new power plants like the proposed 50-MW gas plant to meet growing demand.
The state government and stakeholders continue to seek long-term power solutions, leveraging foreign investment and infrastructure expansion to stabilize electricity supply across Borno.
