The Ag. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. (Dr) Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz commissioned the Port Harcourt Regional Office, dubbed the 'Transmission House', in Rivers State, recently.

In his address, the MD said that the project was completed on September 21st, 2021, and commissioned on 8th October 2021, as part of efforts to upgrade TCN facilities in the region.

According to him, the project is part of efforts to strategically transform TCN through the upgrade of facilities, prompt maintenance, rehabilitation, grid expansion, and manpower development. This is in addition to focusing on the technical/operational aspects of TCN mandate.  

He noted that the Port Harcourt Regional Office project was initiated 11 years ago and passed through four Managing Directors/CEOs without being completed. However, within a little over one year, the present management completed and commissioned the project to give officials of TCN at the Port Harcourt regional office a conducive working environment that would help them operate optimally. TCN Management, he noted, also upgraded the Region with the creation of the Uyo Work Centre and built a new office in front of the 132 kilovolts switchyard of Port Harcourt Main Station among others.

Speaking further, Engr. Abdulaziz said that the completion of the project within a short time is a demonstration of the commitment of the present management team towards ensuring that all TCN staff are given the support and enabling environment that they deserve. He said the region has several ongoing projects, and tasked them to continue to work as a team so that when the projects are delivered they would be proper coordination and operation.   

According to him, work is also ongoing to replicate the office project in the other regions of TCN. The new Port Harcourt office complex, he continued, provides a safe working environment for staff, boosts staff morale and productivity as well as provide a conducive meeting place with other stakeholders.

Reiterating Management commitment to the TCN developmental strategies, Engr. Abdulaziz said that TCN's strategic plan includes paying attention to human capacity development even as TCN continues to implement its grid expansion program.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider (TSP) at TCN, Engr. Victor Adewumi, informed that TCN is rehabilitating several substations and completing ongoing ones to improve grid capacity. According to him, within the Port Harcourt region, TCN is rehabilitating ten substations, most of which are being executed under the World Bank-financed projects. Under the Siemens intervention project however, the Rumuosi and Elemewon Substations will be rehabilitated, a GIS substation built, and several power transformers installed in different substations within the region.

He commended the ability of the region to efficiently evacuate power to the national grid despite the challenges they face as a result of the concentration of power stations within the region. The Port Harcourt Region he said is significant because it is the only transmission region in TCN that has eight power generation stations within its franchise area.