By Charles Pemu 
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has pledged to revive the power plant at the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot-Abasi, a move he says will contribute a substantial 540 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid.
Making the commitment during a working visit to the facility, the Minister lamented that 37 years after the company’s establishment, the lack of dedicated power supply has prevented the nation from realizing the benefits of the huge investment in ALSCON. Chief Adelabu noted that the facility, when fully operational, would not only boost power supply but also generate an estimated 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The Minister outlined a two-pronged approach, announcing that a temporary plan to connect the company to the national grid will be undertaken immediately while the government pursues a long-term dedicated power solution.
Furthermore, Chief Adelabu expressed deep concern over the dilapidated state of the abandoned 330kV substation built by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), which was approximately 90 percent complete before being left dormant. He assured stakeholders that the government would ensure the completion of the substation “within the shortest possible time,” stressing that this infrastructure is vital to maximizing the value of the entire ALSCON investment.
Recalling that ALSCON was conceived in 1989 and taken over by the Russian firm RUSAL following privatization in 2006, the Minister reiterated that these massive investments have suffered due to a lack of power supply for the last 27 years. He emphasized that the government’s renewed efforts align with its Vision 2030 goal to provide electricity to the majority of Nigerians. The revival of ALSCON, he concluded, promises to create jobs for youths, supply raw materials to local industries, and save foreign exchange currently spent on imports.