Power Minister scrambles to halt incessant grid collapses
Replacement of aged and obsolete equipment
In a bid to arrest and halt the debilitating and incessant grid collapses that has gripped the nation, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu has ordered the TCN and other relevant agencies of the ministry to begin immediate implementation of the recommendations of the inter-agency committee.
Mr. Bolaji Tunji, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communications and Media said this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Tunji said that the committee was set up to address the incessant grid collapses in the power sector.
The committee recommended the audit and testing of existing equipment and improvement in maintenance of the transmission equipment and lines.
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It called for significant investments from the government and the private sector.
It also recommended the development of a framework and to adopt reliability-centered maintenance
The committee identified critical ongoing projects for speedy completion .
The committee also recommended the replacement of aged and obsolete equipment, as well as enhance SCADA and telecommunication tools
It urged a developing framework to attract private investment across the value chain, deploy IoT device on generating units and transmission lines and secure firm gas contracts
It also called for the development and implementation of measures to combat vandalism and energy theft among others.
He said that the minister’s matching order followed the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s (TCN”s) report that the national grid had experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 a. m, on Thursday, which was caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.
Tunji quoted the minister as saying “all relevant agencies in the ministry must brace up for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee”.
“The recommendations of the committee are far reaching and will proffer lasting solutions to the incessant power grid collapses that we have embarrassingly witnessed in the country in the immediate and long term, ” he said.
Bolaji said that TCN had assured consumers that efforts were being intensified to ensure uninterrupted power supply to them.
According to him, the agency is working to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the recommendations of the committee to save Nigeria from the incessant grid collapsed.
The Challeges
The Nigerian national grid has recently faced significant instability, experiencing its tenth collapse of 2024 on November 7, just two days after the previous failure. This alarming trend has plunged the country into darkness once again, affecting countless households and businesses across Nigeria. The latest incident occurred at 11:28 AM, leading to a complete halt in electricity generation, with output dropping from 2,323 megawatts to zero within a single hour
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has not yet provided a detailed explanation for this latest collapse. However, they indicated that a sudden spike in frequency, which rose from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz, contributed to the disruption. This spike was attributed to technical issues at one of TCN’s substations, prompting immediate recovery efforts. Despite these efforts, the frequency of grid failures has raised serious concerns about the reliability of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
The Impact
Impact on Daily Life and EconomyThe recurring outages have severely impacted daily life in Nigeria, where many businesses and households rely on expensive fuel-powered generators due to the unreliable grid. Critics have pointed out that the frequency of these collapses—two occurring within just three days—reflects deeper systemic issues within the country’s power sector, such as poor maintenance, outdated equipment, and inadequate infrastructure
In response to these challenges, the Minister of Power has directed TCN and relevant agencies to implement recommendations from an inter-agency committee aimed at addressing these frequent failures. The government acknowledges that while improvements are underway, some instability may persist until all major repairs are completed
As Nigerians continue to voice their frustrations over ongoing power issues, there is a growing call for urgent reforms to stabilize the national grid and ensure a reliable electricity supply for all citizens
