In the bustling corridors of Nigerian governance, where budgets are debated and mandates are fiercely protected, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) found itself navigating a storm of public scrutiny.
A recent media publication alleged that the TCN had misplaced its core statutory mandate, claiming the power company had squandered N1.28 billion on solar streetlight projects—work far removed from its primary role of bulk power transmission.
But the reality, TCN management clarified, was far more nuanced and deeply rooted in collaborative governance.
The N1.28 billion in question did not come from the TCN’s own coffers, nor was it a spontaneous initiative by the company’s executives.
These funds were Federal Government appropriations, duly approved by the President and earmarked by Honourable Members of the National Assembly as constituency projects.
TCN was simply the implementing agency, carrying out the democratic will of the legislative arm.
The genesis of these solar streetlights lies in a practical solution to a national crisis. As an organization whose 330kV and 132kV transmission lines stretch across the nation, TCN has long battled the menace of infrastructure vandalism and theft.
Through years of nationwide sensitization, the company learned a fundamental truth: well-lit communities are safer communities.
When vulnerable areas are illuminated, public confidence rises, and the nocturnal activities of vandals targeting national power grids are significantly deterred.
Consequently, when the National Assembly directed TCN to implement solar streetlight interventions in Jigawa, Kano, and Kogi States, the company embraced the mandate.
This was not a deviation from their duties, but a strategic move to safeguard the national grid while simultaneously boosting socio-economic activity in beneficiary areas.
Every naira spent was meticulously tracked. The payments—processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and routed to
competent contractors like Au Step Nigeria Limited and Empire Technical Projects Construction Services Limited—adhered strictly to the Public Procurement Act of 2007.
From approvals by the Bureau of Public Procurement to the final quality monitoring, the process was designed to be transparent and impactful.
In response to the public outcry, TCN extended a hand of collaboration rather than confrontation.
They appealed to media organizations and stakeholders to verify facts before publishing, emphasizing that as a govt agency, they are legally empowered to execute projects assigned to them.
Ultimately, the story of the solar streetlights is not one of misplaced funds, but of a government agency fulfilling a dual mandate: wheeling bulk power across the nation while actively supporting national development objectives to protect very infrastructure that keeps the country running.
