In Kaduna’s Millennium City, a housing project of the Kaduna State Government, houses, shopping malls and other business facilities spring up daily but the project is affected by epileptic power supply. Five years ago, the residents of Millennium City had reason to hope but that seems far reaching now.
In 2018, a highly anticipated power project was launched, with a promise to supply the growing community with stable electricity. Today, that project lies abandoned, leaving the community at the mercy of power rationing, crippling small businesses, and disrupting the everyday lives of residents.
Once celebrated as a cornerstone of the Kaduna State Government’s infrastructure master plan, the 2018 power project was designed to construct a 16.5KM 33KV overhead line from the Old Power Station in Kakuri to Millennium City.
At the heart of the project was a 15MVA substation project awarded to Energy Lite Nigeria Ltd, and valued at ₦670,948,949.48. But the project, which was meant to be completed within 12 months, never progressed beyond 20% completion as claimed by the contractor, and no significant work has been done on-site for years.
Despite receiving a mobilization fee of ₦134,189,000.90 (20%) of the project budget, with no approved consultant the contractor halted work, while the Kaduna State Power Supply Company (KAPSCO) went silent, with no return to KADPPA for evaluation of the work done and proceeding, residents are now left to wonder: what went wrong?
Details obtained from Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority
Timeline of delays
By 2018, Millennium City had undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving from an underdeveloped area of mud houses and canoes into a sought-after district, with key infrastructure projects such as the Makarfi City Layout Link Bridge in 2008 and a revised master plan introduced by Governor Namadi Sambo.
Today, Millennium City is a hub of investment and rapid urban expansion, home to private housing estates like Urban Shelter, Nurus-Siraj, Kagara Place, Mamadi, and Ummi, alongside federal and state government estates. Shopping complexes like Jagaban Mall, Muhammadu Buhari Mall, HM&S Plaza, and other emerging business hubs now line its streets, reflecting the area’s swift growth.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s 2018 Kaduna Infrastructure Master Plan (KADIMP) outlined an ambitious solution: a power upgrade to support the area’s development.
Yet, despite an initial disbursement of 20% of project funds and subsequent budget of ₦538,123,016.07 in 2020, ₦343,100,000.00 in 2021, ₦573,843,000.00 in 2022 and ₦430,350,000.00 in 2023, work on the 15MVA substation ground to a halt. By 2024, no additional funds were earmarked for the project, leaving the community and officials in limbo.
Unanswered questions
While the delays have been attributed to a range of factors such as environmental concerns, administrative stagnation, and even the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews with insiders from KAPSCO, who expressed fears of being victimized if they spoke on record, reveal deeper issues of mismanagement.
The sources said one of the main problems was the former MD of KAPSCO, Dolapo Popoola’s disinterest in advancing the project. Since 2019, no official project evaluation has been conducted to justify further payments, leading to long-standing inaction from the agency.
A source shared minutes from a March 2021 meeting held by the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority (KADPPA), Kaduna State Power Supply Company (KAPSCO), and a proposed consultant, ATM & Partners. The document reveals that KAPSCO’s inaction has been a major factor in delaying the Millennium City power project.
KAPSCO requested to hire a consultant in June 2020, and in response, KADPPA asked them in March 2021 to get a formal approval, showing KADPPA was okay with the consultant and allowing KAPSCO to proceed with the proposal.
Additionally, KADPPA requested revalidation due to no updates since 2019. At a meeting on March 25, 2021, KADPPA provided clear steps to move forward, but KAPSCO didn’t follow through, keeping the project stalled despite the instructions.
In an exclusive interview, Idris Aminu Idris, the Managing Director of Kaduna Power Supply Company (KAPSCO), shared his perspective on the ongoing challenges surrounding the 15MVA substation project at Millennium City.
“When I took office in April 2024, I inherited little to no record of the project. After visiting the site, I began to explore all avenues to uncover more details about the status of this project. We are aware of the rumors regarding the land status and are fully committed to investigating the situation and we are actively working to resolve this issue. We are a government of continuity based on priority.”
Dolapo Popoola, the former Managing Director who was in office during the project’s development, was contacted for comment on the issues. However, she declined, stating that she requires approval from the state government to speak on the matter as she is no longer the MD.
Mukhtar Haruna, the head of Millennium City, which includes Danbushiya, Kadaure, Sabon Gida, Keke A and B, and surrounding communities, stated that he was unaware of any power project in the area, as no one had informed him about it. He also acknowledged the Kaduna Electric’s management’s efforts in implementing a shifting strategy for electricity distribution but emphasized the need for improvements due to the rapid growth of the area.
Environmental Risks and the Abandoned Site
Another claim from insiders in the company suggests that the substation’s proximity to a riverbank posed environmental hazards that may have contributed to the delay. A local rice farmer who owns a farm next to the building for over six years, Ibrahim Yusuf, noted that the area floods every year raising concerns about the site’s sustainability.
Ibrahim Yusuf, a farmer whose fields border the power substation project site.
Mr Idris believes the location is not an issue, “Regarding the placement of the substation near a river, this is a matter of science. Each managing director has his own expertise and vision. What the former MD, Dr. Abdulkarim Mayere saw in the project may differ from the former MD’s (Dolapo Popoola) perspective, which could have led to the project’s halt. Personally, I believe a substation can be located anywhere as long as the necessary safety precautions are in place.”
A visit to the substation site reveals that while the building has been completed, plastered, roofed, and fitted with windows and doors, no equipment has been installed. Poles have been erected and partially wired but work on the station remains incomplete.
The installed poles at the power substation site
Engineer Muhammad Abbas, from Jos Electricity Distribution PLC, Bauchi office. An expert in power distribution, emphasised the risks of placing a substation near a river. While a river can provide cooling benefits, the proximity also increases the likelihood of flooding, oil leakage, and equipment failure—all significant risks that demand proper environmental assessments.
“Without the right precautions, placing a substation in a flood-prone area can lead to costly damage and pose safety risks to the community,” Mr Abbas explained.
The Power Crisis In Millennium City
With a fast growing population, Millennium City’s power supply has deteriorated, affecting both residents and businesses. Small businesses, like grinding machine operators and welders in nearby Danbushiya, and neighborhoods like Keke A and B, are particularly hard-hit.
Many report waiting days for power to complete simple tasks, while others are forced to rely on costly generators, cutting into their profits.
“We have to wait for days just to grind grains for customers,” said Idris Sani, a grinding machine operator. “Sometimes we use the night power shift, but it disturbs the neighbors.”
Grain grinding station in Danbushiya, where residents wait for sporadic power shifts throughout the day
“Using generators makes us lose money,” lamented welder Ishaq Zubairu, who has over 27 years of experience. “But this is my livelihood, and I can’t afford to stop”, he said.
Welding station in Danbushiya impacted by inadequate power supply
Another businessman, Nuhu Muhammad who manages a team of 30 welders, echoed similar frustrations, explaining that even when the power shift is allocated, it is rarely consistent.
Welding station in Danbushiya employing over 20 workers.
Despite recent Kaduna Electric’s efforts to upgrade the existing infrastructure including a new 7.5MVA transformer and 11KV line the community remains underpowered, with insufficient electricity to support Millennium City’s growing population. According to residents and business owners, the situation is untenable.
Lawal Mahmud, chairman of the Danbushiya Community Electricity Committee, said the community took matters into their own hands in 2017/18, raising over N5 million through contributions from residents and a land donation to fund electricity expansion.
“When I moved here in 2013, there was no electricity. We tasked ourselves with raising funds and brought a contractor to extend the power supply from the entry bridge substation,” he said. He added that in 2020, a federal government intervention further improved electricity access with the installation of a substation. However, Mahmud noted that the state government’s involvement in any power project in the area remains unclear to the community.
He emphasised the need for additional substations and transformers to stabilize electricity supply, stating, “Our hospitals and businesses are suffering due to unreliable power. We urge the current government to review the project and ensure Millennium City is provided with stable electricity for meaningful growth.”
By: Sani Modibbo
This report is sponsored by UDEME under Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.