The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC)  Limited has gotten generating licence for its gas-fired power plant (the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP)), sited in Maiduguri, Borno State, Northeast, Nigeria.

The  50 megawatts generating  licence was recently presented to the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari by the  Minister of Power,  Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu

The project is meant to generate electricity for the Borno state capital and its environs. It is a long-term solution to address persistent attacks and destruction of power lines by the Boko Haram terrorists, who had succeeded in  frustrating efforts of the government to  restore power to Maiduguri.

On January 17, 2020, three power tower lines near Jakana village were destroyed by terrorists, plunging  Maiduguri into darkness.

“The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) would be supplied to Maiduguri from Port Harcourt (Rivers State) by 22 trucks daily covering a distance of 1,700 kilometres,” said Kyari in June.

According to him, the power plant  will gulp over 5,000 metric tonnes of gas, which will be supplied by Greenville for 10 years, adding that  57 trucks of gas will be enough to cover for the 10-year period.

“By the time the Abuja, Kaduna and Kano gas pipeline is on stream, the journey be shorten from Kano to Maiduguri,” he said.

The project, which is being handled by China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC) and General Electric (GE), is expected to be completed this month.