Monday the 26th of February 2024 is a day that has come be etheched in history as a day of fulfillment. The fulfillment of a long held vision of emancipation from darkness both literally and figuratively of a people though thoughtful and creative but held down by the lack of basic enablers to flourish in business and in life.
The inuaguration of the Geometric power plant under the Aba Independent Power Project located within the Osissioma industrial estate in Abia, south East Nigeria brings to an end the long wait for the coming on stream of this all important electricity-energy project set up to drive production through enterprise and stimulate investments which is the hallmark of this city of innovation.
The project according to the initiators was conceived with the aim of empowering the people by providing reliable and sustainable power to homes, businesses and industries, thus fostering economic growth and improving the quality of life for the people. Hence the twenty years delay though unnecessary is worth the wait because the option of outrightly abandoning the power plant would have been unfathomable.
Taking a cue from the statement of Vice president Kashim Shetima standing in for president Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of the project that the coming on stream of the Geometric power plant bears testimony to the power of dreams coming to pass through perseverance and determination. Many a dream have fallen by the way side owing to loss of focus as a result of seemingly overwhelming challenges, leading to discouragement and the casting away of what would have been for the betterment of society.
The Aba Independent Power limited also know as Geometric Power licensed by the Federal government to build a plant to generate 188 megawatts of electricity to serve the Aba ring fenced Island covering nine local governments situated mostly in the Aba north zone of the state is targeted at solving the age old problem peculiar with the Nigerian society but which is a major drawback to economic development – lack of adequate and stable electricity-energy supply with the attendant effect of strengthening significantly the backbone of manufacturing in the Aba ring fenced Island.
For a long time both small and large scale manufacturing suffered in Aba-the business, commercial and manufacturing hub of the South East of Nigeria. Graciously, the attention of the World Bank was drawn to this negative trend by the Nigerias’ finance Amazon and current head of the World Trade Organisation Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. After a meeting with business leaders and manufacturers in Aba, a promise was made by then head of the World Bank-the Global Development Finance Agency- James D. Wolfensohn.
That promise was for the World Bank to facilitate the construction of dedicated power plant to generate and distribute power directly to Aba consumers. This aims to provide uninterrupted and reliable electricity directly to those needing them outside of the existing National power grid which over time only gives epileptic power to manufacturers and consumers alike.
In a bid to get the job done reliably, a power and artificial intelligence expert in the person of Professor Barth Nnaji was called upon to handle the project. Substantial funds in the form of loans were made available to this choice son of Igbo land and Nigeria to build the first of its kind private power company in Aba to serve Aba and by extension Abia.
In the course of establishing the power plant, many obstacles confronted Prof. Nnaji threatening the realisation of the project – rights issue over the ring fenced Island, funding Vis-a-Vis fatigue of both foreign and local financiers, gas pipeline right of way and gas supply issues amongst many emerged to derail this noble project putting a damper on the enthusiasm which greeted the foundation stone laying ceremony years earlier.
With funding from foreign partners and the progress of work now stalled at the power plant, the CEO of Geometric power Prof. Barth Nnaji had to turn to other financial institutions and his first port of call was Fist Bank plc which had Dr. Alex Otti as Executive Director. However, approved facility could not be accessed by Prof. Nnaji and his team because Dr. Alex Otti was billed to resume in Diamond Bank as MD/CEO. In 2011 after Dr. Otti assumed office, he facilitated the resumption of funding for the Geometric power project in Aba through Diamond Bank which facilitated the installation of the three main power generating turbine’s at the plant.
Funding from Dr. Otti as head of Diamond Bank helped to lay the twenty-seven kilometres gas pipeline from feed point to the power plant in Aba. This was part of the behind the scene efforts to navigate the many frustrating twists and turns in the drive to actualise this all important project.
Apart from the vision of the proprietor Prof. Barth Nnaji, the Geometric power plant Aba had many destiny helpers and facilitators prominent among them is Dr. Alex Chioma Otti once the banker and now elected chief executive in Abia state billed by fate to play vital roles in the quest to evolve a new and robust model for electricity value chain driven by the private sector in the country.
It is also on record that the administration of Dr. Alex Chioma Otti intervened in the bid to resolve the gas supply issues critical in the firing of the turbines to generate electricity. Getting gas to the plant had become a herculean task after the gas pipeline right of way issues were resolved through efforts of same Dr. Alex Otti when he was in the banking sector.
In resolving this issue, Dr. Alex Otti now as governor, had to interface with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited the state owned oil conglomerate through it’s Managing Director Engr. Mele Kyari who worked tirelessly to ensure the supply of gas to the power plant making it possible for commissioning to take place. The NNPCL helmsman has also promised Dr. Alex Otti that his office will ensure that gas supply to the power station will remain uninterrupted.
This push by the current administration can be described as the last leg in the long race; a final switch which made commissioning possible – for without gas supply there wouldn’t have been anything to commission possibly leaving us with another white elephant project.
From the afore going it is obvious to even the casual observer that the man Dr. Alex Chioma Otti is destined to play pivotal roles at different times in his life, for the actualisation of this first of its kind ‘energy for development project’ in Abia.
The Aba Independent power project housing the Geometric integrated power plant is a private sector initiative which is expected to stimulate other investments in the Aba area in tandem with the vision of Dr. Alex Ottis’ administration for a total rejuvenation of this unique commercial hub in the South East and Nigeria.
The governor confessed how dear the project is to his heart bearing in mind it’s potential for enterprise growth, job creation and as a pillar for the furtherance of trade in the West African sub region and beyond. He went forward to confess that the first time he saw the proposal for the establishment of the power plant, he embraced it knowing that a lot is hinged on it’s success.
Going forward governor Otti has vowed to give all necessary support to the Geometric power company stating that his doors as the chief executive of the state will always be open to offer help whenever called upon to do so.
Thus it can be said without fear of contradiction that Dr. Alex Otti is one of the midwives of the Aba integrated power project also referred to as Geometric power, birthed over twenty years ago precisely on March 17, 2004 following the meeting between the Aba industrialist and small scale manufacturers, then head of world bank, James D. Wolfensohn and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.
The technical specifications of Geometric power plant is no doubt very impressive. The plant boasts of 3 state of the art General Electric turbines installed to generate 141 megawatts of electricity at peak production. The firm rehabilitated the entire distribution network in Aba while installing a 105kilometers, 33kv overhead lines within the metropolis. Steel tubular poles like none other in Nigeria were also installed for distribution from power plant to consumers. In addition, 40kms of new 11kv lines were installed and thousands of kms of sub transmission and low voltage lines were also rehabilitated. 5 new 3 by 60 MVA substation, 4 brand new 2 by 15MVA substations and 3 brand new control rooms were built and commissioned for operation.
Some will say that the life of Dr. Alex Chioma Otti was destined to coincide with all that has to do with Geometric Integrated Power Project and indeed the turn around of the economic and commercial fortunes of Aba and the South East of Nigeria well beyond the ring fenced area which is the primary focus of the power plant based on operating license.
An old English proverbs says ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’. Indeed the man Dr. Alex Otti came at the very right moment in the life of Geometric power Aba – from his first contact as bank chief executive fourteen years earlier to it’s commissioning on the 26th of February 2024 as Governor of Abia.
A new Abia of renewed hope and better economic opportunities is hear driven by the doggedness of a man who believes in the power which brings to reality dreams and visions of economic fortunes translating to a better life for the people.
Help at last has come to Abia
Congratulations to Gov. Alex Otti and the good people of Abia for the delivery of Geometric Integrated Power Aba.