Maiduguri, Borno State, NIGERIA — Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval of ₦68 billion in operational support for the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant (MEPP).
The funding is designed to bridge critical gaps in the facility’s operations, ensuring a sustainable energy supply for the state capital and its surrounding areas.
The intervention, announced on Thursday, consists of a ₦2 billion monthly operational expenditure (OPEX) subsidy running from March 2026 until December 2028.
Okay News reports that the MEPP, a 50MW gas-fired plant, was originally commissioned in December 2023 following a prolonged two-year blackout caused by insurgent attacks on the national grid infrastructure.
Governor Zulum, speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, highlighted that the MEPP has been a “catalyst for socio-economic development” in Borno State. He noted that the availability of stable electricity has revived Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and created thousands of employment opportunities for the youth, effectively reducing the vulnerabilities that allow for insurgent recruitment.
The Governor further emphasized the nexus between energy security and national security, stating that the project—executed through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)—has strengthened the state’s resilience against criminality. “This has not only revived economic activities but has also significantly improved livelihoods and strengthened efforts to address security challenges,” Zulum stated.
