Tinubu to inaugurate Bayelsa’s 60 MW power plant

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate Bayelsa State’s 60-megawatt power plant upon its completion, a project being promoted by the state government.

The facility, initially scheduled for commissioning in December 2025, also missed a revised deadline of February 2026.

The Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku Obiyai, told journalists on Tuesday that, following earlier delays, the state government is cautious about announcing a new inauguration date.

She said the project had reached its final stage, with all eight generating units fully installed, and confirmed that plans were underway for the President to perform the inauguration.

“The process of inviting the President has been initiated, and the gas-fired turbine is almost ready. I am pleased you have visited the project site to assess the level of progress,” she said.

“The people of Bayelsa are eager to see the turbine come on stream, and, by the grace of God, we are close to inauguration.”

Earlier at the site, Engineer Steve Bubagha, the project’s site manager, told members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Bayelsa that the project was in its final phase.

He explained that all eight generating components had been installed and that the team was currently reviewing completed work ahead of test operations.

“What we are doing now is checking everything we have completed to ensure readiness before test-running. We are carefully cross-checking all installations,” he said.

He added that the inauguration remained a sensitive matter, noting that the team was being cautious in its communications while final checks were ongoing.

“We have completed the major network components,” he said.

The eight-unit, gas-powered plant is manufactured by General Electric, a United States-based firm.