Canada’s Manitoba Hydro Requests $ 23.7 Million to Manage Transmission Company of Nigeria

Manitoba Hydro, the Canadian power engineering firm, that won the bid to manage the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), one of the PHCN successor companies, has asked the Federal Government to pay it $23.7 million in order for it to execute its mandate.

Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Bolanle Onagoruwa disclosed this at the opening of the financial bid in Abuja. The amount requested by Manitoba covers a period of 3 years.

Professor Barth Nnaji has said the price should be reviewed downwards and has appointed a 6 man negotiation team to discuss it with Manitoba.

Nnaji said, “We are looking forward to having a very good outcome from the negotiation. Hopefully, you will reduce the figure for the negotiation. But more importantly we are looking forward to seeing you bringing your expertise to reduce the technical and non-technical losses.”

The TCN management contract will see Manitoba reduce electricity losses during transmission and provide for the achievement of certain predetermined targets that would improve grid security and general performance.

Nnaji added that the company would start work soonest. “We anticipate that in the next one month, they will start. They will bring in speed, be able to anticipate issues and problems and address them proactively. This is what we don’t have in the public service,” said the minister.