The Federal Government has called on power companies operating in Nigeria to improve the local content of their activities for enhanced sustainability.

The Minister of Power, Chief Afebayo Adelabu, made this appeal during the facility tour of MBH Power Ltd at the weekend in Mowe, Ogun State.

Impressed by the company’s assembly plant and operations, the minister urged the firm to put in place formal integration plan to improve the local content of its activities.

Besides, he appealed to the power company to engage more Nigerians in its operation to promote job creation and boost overall economic activities of the country.

The minister said: “One issue of our interest is the local content; we expect that you have a formal integration plan to ensure that you keep listening to the local content of your activities. That would do a lot for us. We need to reduce over-dependence on imported components of your production. This will reduce the pressure on foreign exchange-related issues.

Secondly, when you have the high proportion of local content in your production line, the turnaround time for orders reduces, you don’t have to transport from China or from India, you don’t have to clear this and that, it’s a matter of just orders.

“And lastly, is the issue of job creation and boosting of overall economic activities of the country. I am happy for contributing to reduction in unemployment in Nigeria, for engaging our youths by increasing their economic power. Job creation is very important. So as we are creating more local components, you also need to engage more people.”

He expressed excitement about the company’s foray into renewable energy, saying this would create energy expansion to the rural areas where less than 50 percent of the areas were connected to the national grid.

Director/COO, MBH Power Limited, Rakesh Mahapatra, informed the minister that the firm has installed 9 megawatts of electricity, built substations and power transformers to boost power supply across Nigeria

According to him, apart from completing 40 substations, 35 power transformers of different grades, the firm has installed capacity of 9 megawatts of power to support multiple companies on Lekki and Ikorodu, Lagos.

He said the company has also provided solar solutions to many customers in Nigeria.

He added that it has supplied more than 700,000 meters in Nigeria through various distribution companies and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) since inception.

He said “Our meters are successfully tested in NEMSA. Our meters have presence in Nigeria network in grid, industrial and residential from more than two decades.

Apart from supplying transfomers, we have completed almost 40 substation till today in Nigeria and we are going to commission more eight substations.”

“We are also working hard toward commissioning more 17 numbers of power transformers by first quarter of 2025 under TCN.We have commissioned mobile substation in Ajah and Jebba under the Federal Government. We have completed many airs Insulated substation in Nigeria and presently we are working with GE for commissioning of 330/132KV gas insulated substation in Abuja Lugbe. We have also completed many project in distribution line till today we have completed project under NIPP and TCN,” he said.

Through its operations in Mowe, he said the company has employed more than 200 Nigerians.

“Our factory is mainly run by Nigerian staff and our factory has generate huge employment for Nigerian citizens from last many years. We have presence in almost all states in Nigeria. We are presently working in Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna, Maidugiri, Biu, Mayobelwa, yola, Sokoto and potiskum, ibadan, kano, Damatru etc,” he said.

Appealing to the Minister, he said that MBS Power Limited is interested to partner with the Federal Government in addressing the challenges associated with the national power grid and provision of universal metering of households.

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