The Nigerian Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has issued a directive to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other relevant agencies to swiftly implement a series of recommendations aimed at overhauling the national power grid. This move comes in response to recurring grid collapses, the most recent of which occurred on Thursday due to a sudden frequency surge from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz, according to TCN’s report.
The directive aligns with findings from a committee established by Adelabu on October 22, tasked with examining and addressing the frequent disruptions in Nigeria’s power grid. Bolaji Tunji, the minister’s special adviser on strategic communications, noted that the committee’s recommendations include conducting comprehensive audits and equipment testing across the grid’s infrastructure to assess and strengthen weak points. The committee stressed the need for significant investment from both the government and the private sector to fund essential grid improvements.
Additionally, the report recommends replacing aged and obsolete equipment, upgrading SCADA and telecommunication tools, and deploying IoT devices across generating units and transmission lines to enhance monitoring and control. The committee also called for the establishment of a reliability-centered maintenance framework, which would shift the focus towards more sustainable and systematic upkeep of transmission equipment and lines. Furthermore, it urged the development of security measures to combat vandalism and energy theft, which continue to threaten infrastructure integrity.
In order to ensure a stable energy supply, the committee advised securing firm gas contracts and completing critical ongoing projects promptly. Adelabu emphasized that these recommendations offer a comprehensive approach to preventing the “embarrassing” grid failures that have plagued the country.
TCN has reassured Nigerian consumers that it is intensifying efforts to implement these recommendations in full, with the aim of achieving a reliable, uninterrupted power supply across the nation.
