The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, said it is partnering with private investors to build power generating plants with combined capacity of 4,600 megawatts, MW, power plants in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano states. ADVERTISING The NNPC in a statement issued in Abuja, also stated that it had directed all its depots nationwide to stop loading tankers with loading capacity above 40, 000 litres. NNPC Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this in the statement during a courtesy call on him by the Executive Governor of Niger State, Mr. Abubakar Sani Bello. Baru said the NNPC, in partnership with private investors would build the power generating plants to support the Federal Government’s effort to provide stable electricity in the country. He said: “As part of the drive to establish power plants to augment the power supply in the country, the Federal Executive Council has recently approved the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, to be financed through Public Private Partnership (PPP). “The project comes with other auxiliary ones which include 1350megawatts, 900megawatts and 2350megawatts of power generation plants in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano respectively.” On the ban on trucks with more than 40,000 litres capacity, Baru disclosed that talk was ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing to re-introduce weigh bridges on the highways to checkmate the issue of excessive loading by tankers above the recommended 46, 000-ton gross weight. He added that as part of efforts to decongest the highways, the NNPC would encourage private investors to build tanker parking facilities around Minna Depot, Suleja Depot, Tegina, Mokwa, amongst others and charge the users of the facility appropriately. Baru further disclosed that the NNPC in partnership with private investors would also build fertilizer plants in some parts of the country, one of which would be located at Izzon, Niger State. He informed the visitors that in line with the presidential mandate on oil exploration in all the frontier basins, the NNPC was well-focused on the exploration in the Bida Basin and would carry out the job professionally. “We have contracted the geological mapping of the Bida Basin to Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai and the job would be completed in three months,” Baru stated. He explained that once the geological mapping is completed, the NNPC’s Integrated Data Services Limited would be engaged to carry out the other aspects of the seismic activities, which would be completed by July 2018.